For the first time in days, Rose awoke to the feel of her husband's arms wrapped around her torso. Her eyes were still closed out of uncertainty that she might open them to find it was all her imagination. Instead, Rose allowed her other senses to bask in the experience. Taking her free hand, she moved it across Ian's chest slowly and deliberately, allowing her fingertips to trace the muscles hidden under his thin undershirt, sighing as she felt the familiar contours. A smile blossomed onto Rose's face as she inhaled deeply, his comforting scent filling her lungs.

While perfectly willing to contentedly lie there and bask in the warmth and familiarity of Ian's slumbering embrace, Rose knew that she couldn't waste the day away in ignorance of what was hope and what was reality. Finally summoning her courage, she tentatively opened her eyes, barely allowing them to process her surroundings, but then sighed in relief as she realized it was most certainly not a dream. She was indeed wrapped within his arms, and the cherished sense of tranquility came rushing back over her. Allowing her head to linger on his chest, Rose placed a gentle kiss directly above his heart as she listened to its strong, steady beat and the lulling feeling of the rise and fall of his chest. Hearing his sigh, she lifted her head to see a smile on his sleeping face. Seeing his peace caused Rose's own smile to shine more brilliantly.

Reluctantly, she gently disentangled herself from Ian's arms, careful not to disturb him. The significance of the day was at the forefront of her mind, and Rose knew that any added rest would be beneficial for him. The last several years had been easier on Ian, with only the occasional nightmare resurfacing. But in light of his recent behavior being so reminiscent of the past, Rose surmised that today held the potential to be exceptionally difficult. Knowing this, she realized that she would have to put whatever personal qualms she was feeling over his continued (though diminishing) distance aside, and put his needs ahead of whatever she was feeling—at least, for a while.

Slinking off the bed, Rose stood and stretched her sleep idled body. That action awakened more than her muscles. At the flurry of movement, Rose smiled down at her unborn son, gently stroking her stomach in contentment. Her mobile began to vibrate on the bedside table and Rose hurriedly picked it up and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"Hello?"

"Mornin', sweetheart. Why's your voice so low? You're not gettin' sick, are ya?"

"No, I just woke up, but Ian's still asleep. 'S everythin' okay?"

"Everythin's fine, love. Are the two of yous busy today?"

"Uh, no…I can't think of anythin' we'd be doing. Ian's basically keeping me locked up here. Tried leavin' once. He didn't take to it too well."

"Good on 'im, he's doin' his job. Y'know you're s'posed to be resting. Martha's already got all of us on watch, and you better believe we'll be keepin' tabs!"

Closing her eyes, Roses sighed and began rubbing her forehead with her free hand. "Mum, was there an actual reason y'called this early? Or's it just so you could pick at me? Coz if that's it, could we just shelve this 'til after I've had more sleep or at least some breakfast?"

"Don't get snippy. I just need someone to watch Tony while I run some errands. Your dad's at some jobsite and Tony's been missin' the lot of you. I wouldn't even ask, what with y'just gettin' out of hospital, but I knew himself was there to take care of ya. Do y'mind? It'd just be for a few hours."

Rose turned her head towards the bedroom door, thinking intently about the man sleeping soundly behind it. For a moment she debated about what answer to give her mum. Her reluctance had nothing to do with not wanting Tony with them; he was full of childish exuberance and wonder and unusually well-behaved considering his age. Her reticence was more the result of so many unknown variables surrounding the day. But the fact remained that whatever was going to happen, was going to happen, and she would simply roll with the punches as they came. Besides, Tony completely adored Ian, and perhaps his presence would bring some added levity.

Her mind finally decided, Rose smiled and answered, "Sure, Mum. That sounds great."

It had been several years since Ian had been able to have a restful night's sleep—six, in fact. More nights than not, he would dream of the events of that day with such eerie precision, it was as if he was literally there. But for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Ian slept through the night without as much as a vague impression of that day. All that he experienced was a deep sense of tranquility and belonging, all stemming from the woman he held in his arms as he drifted off. As his mind filled with images of Rose, Ian suddenly became aware that his arms were vacant and his eyes immediately opened as he registered her loss. Assuming she was still in bed, he turned onto his side, fully expecting to see her slumbering body next to him. Instead, his eyes locked with those of a small boy sitting cross-legged, his elbows resting on his knees, chin resting in his hands, and looking expectantly at Ian.

Ian blinked slowly as his brain tried to register the unexpected boy's presence. On seeing that Ian was finally awake, the little boy's hazel eyes twinkled with delight, and a wide toothy grin burst forth.

"Um…hello," Ian said confusedly, yet he couldn't help but mirror the boy's grin.

"Hey," he said, waving his small hand excitedly.

The two of them continued to wordlessly regard each other, before Ian finally spoke up. "So, uh…what are you doing?"

The little boy gave a slight bounce. "Rose said not to wake ya. So, I've been waitin'."

As the little boy finished his explanation, Ian finally realized that this was the same little boy he'd seen the day he and Rose had gone to her parents' house to pick up Olivia, which would make him…

"Tony!" Rose's voice suddenly reprimanded.

Both Ian and Tony turned to look at her, Ian's eyes smiling while Tony's were wide with worry.

"You're s'posed to be downstairs. I told you to let Ian sleep."

"I didn't do nothin'," Tony insisted.

Arching an eyebrow, Rose crossed her arms and regarded him with a disbelieving look.

"It's true," Ian defended, propping his body up to look at her fully. "He didn't wake me. But he did surprise me a little, considering I was expecting to see you next to me. I've kinda gotten used to it."

"Like the view, do ya?" she teased with a cheeky smile.

"Very much," he answered in soft earnest.

Something in his tone caused Rose to swallow deeply, and she felt her cheeks flush. His ability to leave her so affected with so little effort never ceased to amaze her. Every day she felt herself fall deeper in love with him, an action that defied all logic. After all, how could you possible fall deeper in love with someone who already possessed your body and soul?

An indiscernible look filled Ian's eyes, and he broke his gaze. Nervously clearing his throat, he turned his attention to Tony and smilingly said, "You hungry, little man?"

"Staaaarrrving!" Tony replied dramatically, tilting backwards and flopping spread-eagle onto the mattress.

"Oh for the love of…," Rose sighed with an eye-roll, "Tony, y'just had like four pieces of toast and jam."

"But now I want pancakes!"

"You're a bottomless pit."

"But Roooosssee….I'm huuuunnggry!" Tony continued whining, still lying flat on his back.

Chuckling, Ian shook his head at Tony' dramatics and ruffled his mop of strawberry blonde hair. "C'mon, kiddo. Let's get up. I'll make you something."

Rose laughed outright, causing Ian to halt the pulling back of the duvet and stare questioningly at her.

"And what's so funny?"

"You are gonna cook?"

"Are you suggesting that I can't cook?"

Rose was unable to suppress her snort at his disbelieving front. "I'm not suggesting anythin'. It's a well proven fact."

"Still hungry," Tony called out again, remaining flat on his back.

"I'll have you know that I'm perfectly capable of putting ingredients into a bowl and making something."

"Yes, but is it edible?"

"'Is it edible?'" he irritably mimicked, finally rising to his feet. "Tony?"

The little boy popped his head up. "Yeah?"

"C'mon. I'm gonna make you pancakes," he said determinedly as Rose quirked a challenging eyebrow and tried to hide her smile.

"YAAAY!" Tony cheered, scrambling to his feet and using the bed to trampoline onto Ian's back. Though Tony's arms were practically crushing his windpipe, Ian paid them no mind as he looked somewhat defiantly at Rose, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Finally allowing her smile to appear, Rose followed after them, muttering under her breath, "Well, this should be fun."

Tony sat perched on the kitchen counter, haphazardly swinging his legs around in the air. "Maybe Rose should make us pancakes," he said for the fourth time in an hour and a half.

Ian looked up at him, furrowing his flour streaked brow irritably at the repeated suggestion. "We don't need Rose. We're completely fine. We can do this by ourselves," he reiterated more for himself than for Tony and restarted whisking the lumpy contents in the mixing bowl. The lumps refused to dissipate and Ian gave a low growl in irritation.

Tony ran a finger through a puddle of batter on the tiled countertop, absentmindedly rubbing it into the grout. "I don't know if we can…I'm only five but you're…," he looked up and wrinkled his nose as he thought, "a hundred?"

Ian immediately stopped whisking and looked over at Tony, clearly offended. "A hundred? Seriously? Do I look that old?" Though it was pure ridiculousness, Tony's innocent words had somehow managed to wound his vanity.

"Dunno," Tony shrugged. "What's a hundred look like?"

"I don't know, but not like me!"

"Well, how old are ya?"

Looking up, Ian wrinkled his brow in thought. If it was 2019, then that meant… "Thirty-six."

Tony's eyes widened in awe. "Whoa!"

"A moment ago you thought I was a hundred, but now somehow thirty-six seems ancient?" Ian chuckled questioningly.

Again, Tony shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, his hazel eyes became as wide as saucers and he pointed behind Ian.

"Fire!"

Ian whirled around and saw flames beginning to consume the contents in the pan. Cursing, he flung the bowl onto the counter and grabbed the skillet handle, running over to the sink and turning on the faucet. Smoke billowed as the water hit the flaming contents of the pan. He turned back to face Tony.

"Do not tell, Rose."

"Don't tell me what?"

Turning, he saw Rose standing at the entryway, holding Livy on her hip and unable to hide her amused smirk. Seeing that look on her face only steeled Ian's resolve to not admit defeat. Of course, it also filled him with the overwhelming desire to wipe it off her face in the most delightful of ways. As that image entered his mind, he felt a blazing heat creep up his neck. Rose must have noticed his altered manner, because that teasing tongue poked through her teeth as she grinned almost knowingly at him.

Pushing aside all thoughts and images, Ian looked at her with a perfect mask of ignorance. "Hmm? Tell ya what? What makes you think there's something to tell?"

"Well," she drawled, "Considering ya just said 'don't tell Rose,' I'm assuming you've done something. That, and the counter is covered in…I don't even know what that is…and I can smell smoke."

"Not sure what to tell you. Everything's under control. Right, Tony?"

Tony looked from a silently pleading Ian to a disbelieving Rose. Unfortunately for Ian, Tony's fear of his sister won out over his adoration of Ian, and he hopped off the counter and walked towards Rose.

"Uh…the pan caught on fire."

"Traitor," Ian muttered, crinkling his brow as the boy walked away.

Olivia began to wiggle in Rose's arms before finally lurching forward, her arms outstretched towards her father. Rose lowered her to the ground, and Livy scurried over to Ian, her little arms flailing at her sides. Smiling amusedly yet lovingly, he scooped her up into his arms. Seeing the mess all over the countertop, Livy promptly plopped her hand into the middle of the lumpy liquid, splattering Ian in the process. She curiously lifted her hand to her face, her tongue darting out to taste the foreign substance covering it. As soon as the content made contact with her taste-buds, Livy scrunched her face up in disgust and began spitting about.

Ian looked down and frowned at her. "Well, that's a bit of an overreaction, don't ya think?"

Rose bit her lip, desperately trying to contain her laughter as she witnessed not only Olivia's display, but also Ian's reaction. Clearing her throat in an attempt to compose herself, she looked at her husband, a smile tugging at her lips.

"So…I think she just proved what I said earlier. Ya can't cook."

"She's just being picky. It can't be that bad," he insisted, swiping a smidgen of it onto his finger and popping it into his mouth. The instant it met his tongue, Ian felt his stomach turn. It was quite possibly the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted. He wanted nothing more than to spit out the foul substance and rinse his mouth out with as much water as humanly possible. But Rose continued to stand there knowingly smirking at him, just waiting for him to flinch. Refusing to give her the satisfaction, Ian schooled his features into an indecipherable mask.

"Eh," he said, shrugging his shoulders and attempting to keep down his bile, "It's not that bad."

A challenging spark flashed in Rose's eyes, and she slowly approached him. "Sooo…," she drawled as she swiped a large amount of batter onto her own finger, "If I was to feed this to not only myself but our unborn son, absolutely nothin' would happen? It wouldn't make me sick or anythin'?" Slowly, she brought the batter towards her mouth. Just as her finger approached her lips, Ian grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"Alright, fine. You win—I can't cook. Happy?" he grumbled in defeat.

"Oh, c'mon now," Rose said, playfully bumping him with her arm. "You're still rather impressive."

"Yeah? Like with what exactly?" he inquired teasingly.

"Oh… so, so many things," Rose teased in kind, giving him a saucy wink.

Ian couldn't pull his eyes away from Rose, only wordlessly stare at her. At that moment, Livy reminded him of her presence and smacked her batter covered hand into his hair, sliding it down onto his cheek. The trance now broken, Ian looked at his daughter, frowning.

"Thanks for that, love."

Tony began to giggle and Rose bit her lip to stifle her own laughter. Ian looked over at her, clearly put out, and Rose was unable to hold back any longer. She burst out laughing, putting her hand over her mouth to calm herself down.

"You're taking far too much enjoyment in this," he grumbled at her, though a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Still giggling, Rose placed a quick kiss to his clean cheek. "Here," she said, taking Livy, "I'll take Livy, and you go get cleaned up.

Nodding, Ian turned to go, but Rose called out to him.

"Wait."

Stopping at her voice, he looked at her. Walking up to him, she smiled and wiped the batter from her fingers onto his shirt.

"Oi!"

"What?" she laughingly shrugged. "You're already covered in it, and I needed to clean my hand."

"You could use the sink, y'know?"

"But you make such a pretty napkin."

Ian cocked an eyebrow upward. "Pretty?"

"I'd use other adjectives but there are children present," she grinned, tongue in teeth.

Though he swallowed harshly at her tone, Ian couldn't help but grin at her. Forcing himself to focus, Ian left the kitchen, and headed upstairs to wash off.

Rose sat at the small kitchen table and fed Olivia while Tony finished up his bowl of cereal. Even though he had whined about the lack of pancakes, he had begrudgingly settled for cereal once Rose told him it was that or nothing. They sat there quietly for several moments before the ringing of Rose's mobile broke the silence.

Glancing at the Caller ID, Rose smiled and answered. "Hey, Sarah Jane."

"Hello Rose. How are you feeling?"

"'M fine, ta. Sorta tired, but overall alright."

Sarah Jan sighed into the receiver. "I'm so relieved to hear that. I was worried sick when your mum phoned. I would've come seen you, but I thought you needed a day or two to yourself to rest."

"You worry too much 'bout me."

"And you don't worry enough. You're one of the most stubborn people I've met…well, apart from Ian. Probably more so, actually."

Rose chuckled at that. "That's what he says."

There was a responding chuckle, followed by a long silence.

"Sarah Jane?"

"How is he?"

Rose didn't have to inquire further, knowing right away to what Sarah Jane was referring. "He seems okay right now. He hasn't said anythin' and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

"I'm worried," Sarah Jane sighed again, this time more wearily. "Your mum and I talked a few days ago, and she told me about his strange behavior. Then when Jack stopped by, I could tell something was off with him. He seemed…troubled. He wouldn't really say, but I've seen 'im like that before. When things with Ian were bad. And I'm just…"

Even though Sarah Jane had trailed off, Rose knew what she had left unsaid. "I know. Me too."

"Do…do y'think I should come over and…I don't know…talk to him? Try and find out what's going on. I know this day is hard on all of us; I think him a little more so, considering what happened."

"I know he's been off, but I know I can manage it. If somethin' changes, I'll ring."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. Promise," Rose assured her, smiling into phone.

"Alright. I'll let ya go. Just remember I'm here if you need me."

"I will. Thanks, Sarah Jane."

"Anytime, Rose. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Thinking over the brief conversation, Rose couldn't help but continue to worry about Ian. She wanted nothing more than to be there for him. It was only a question of whether or not he'd let her.

As the steaming hot water poured down onto him, Ian couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting to Rose and the life he was currently living. It was something he'd never imagined, not even before the past events of the day. Back when things had been relatively normal, he'd never expected to have some look at him like Rose did almost every minute they were together. Those warm brown eyes would bore into him with such intensity and devotion, as if she was looking straight into his soul, and Ian felt himself unable to breathe at times. And then his little girl… a mirror image of himself and looking at him with such adoration that he was filled with such overwhelming warmth. And despite all efforts, Ian was beginning to fall into this life, to cherish the peace and utter sense of completion it brought to his being. But there was one line he still was not crossing, and that was giving in to the idea of loving Rose. As much as her presence filled his soul, he knew it was something that he couldn't risk.

Realizing he'd been standing there in contemplation for quite a while, Ian quickly finished his shower and got ready for the day. Smiling, he descended the stairs and walked into the living room, immediately seeing Rose and the children. Tony and Livy were playing on the floor, with Tony attempting to build a block structure and Livy taking great pleasure in knocking it down just as it was almost complete. Ian chuckled and he watched Tony huff at his thwarted efforts and Olivia shrieking with delight each time.

From her place on the sofa, Rose laughed as well as she idly caressed her stomach. Ian's smile became warm and thoughtful as he was forced to admit that there was no denying the complete beauty of the scene before him. Rose sensed a new presence in the room and turned her head, locking eyes with him.

"Feel better?"

"Much," he nodded. He continued to remain standing, just looking at her.

"Ian, Livy won't stop knockin' my tower over. I told 'er to stop but she won't listen!" Tony complained.

"She's just tryin' to play with ya, Tony," Rose explained, trying to soothe his irritation.

Tony huffed and crossed his arms, leaning against the sofa. "Well I don't like it!"

"Here," Ian said, joining the two of them on the floor, "I'll build with you, and keep Olivia from messing it up. Sound like a plan?"

"Yup!"

The three of them sat there contentedly, with Tony and Ian building various structures while Livy found new entertainment in running around and picking up various items and chewing on them, much to the chagrin of Rose. Once Livy popped one of Tony's trainers into her mouth, Rose decided that was enough of that, and got off the sofa. Olivia interpreted this as a new game, and began to run around the room as Rose chased after her. She did so for a few moments, before she suddenly felt lightheaded and a wave of fatigue. The sudden change caused Rose to snap at her daughter.

"Olivia Emily, stop! Mummy isn't…," Rose stopped, placing a hand on the arm of the sofa, and closing her eyes.

Ian noticed this and was immediately on his feet and by her side, putting an arm around her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, forcing himself to keep a calm tone of voice.

Giving a slight shake of her head, she said, "'S nothin'. I just got tired all of a sudden." She took another breath, and felt her head began to clear.

"Rose, if you're making light of this, I swear—"

She put her hand over his. "I'm not, love. Honest."

"Fine," he replied, his tone conveying a trace of doubt. "But you're going upstairs for a lie down."

Genuinely too fatigued to protest, Rose nodded and allowed Ian to guide her up the stairs and to their bedroom. Rose crawled into the unmade bed.

""M really fine," she insisted once more, her voice already groggy and her eyes heavy.

"I know you are. But just let me do this," Ian said softly, pulling the duvet over her.

"M'kay…," she agreed, her voice now just above a whisper. Her head touched the pillow and her eyes finally closed. Ian allowed himself a moment to gaze at her before exiting room. As he reached the door, Rose's voice called out to him once more.

"Love you."

Stopping, he turned and looked at her. Her eyes were still closed and her body was still, save for the rise and fall of her chest. A smile graced her slumbering face, and Ian couldn't help but mirror it.

"Sleep good, Rose."

With those final words, Ian gently closed the door and returned to the children downstairs.

It was near ten, and Rose had been asleep for close to an hour. Part of Ian had expected to have difficulty managing Tony and Olivia, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that he not only was he managing splendidly, he was enjoying himself immensely. Tony made it clear that he was ecstatic to be there with him, and Olivia was her usual exuberant self. He and Tony were in the midst of coloring when a sudden knock interrupted them. Dropping his crayon, Ian rose and answered the door. He was surprised to see Jackie standing there, but even more surprised that she hadn't just marched in, as the rest of the family tended to do.

Holding the door open to allow Jackie entrance, he inquired, "Why did you knock? I'd have thought you'd just come on in."

"Y'know perfectly well why. I've caught ya snoggin' the life outta my daughter one to many times to just barge in. Everybody else might walk in, but I don't wanna risk it. How you two still act like lovesick teenagers after so long never ceases to amaze me."

Though he personally hadn't engaged in snogging with Rose, he couldn't help but sheepishly rub the back of his neck at Jackie's words.

"Sorry I took longer than expected. I got stuck at the bank arguing with some bleedin' moron who wouldn't let me make a deposit because I didn't have my identification. Nevermind the fact I've had an account there for fifteen years."

"Hope you left him breathing," Ian grinningly teased.

"Oh button it, ya plum," she playfully swatted his arm. "Anyway, was Tony too much trouble?" she asked as the two of them made their way to the living room.

"No, not at all."

As the two of them entered the living room, Tony raised his head and smiled as he saw Jackie.

"Mummy," he cried, running up and hugging her.

"Hello, sweetheart. Did ya have fun?"

"Yup!" he replied happily before returning to his coloring.

Noticing that not everyone was present, Jackie turned to Ian. "Where's Rose?"

"She's upstairs sleeping. She got knackered all of a sudden."

Jackie's brow frowned with worry. "Does she need anythin'?"

Shaking his head, Ian said, "Nah…I think she just needs some sleep."

"What about you, sweetheart? How are ya holdin' up?" she asked in concern, putting a hand on his arm.

Her sudden warm gesture took Ian off guard. Up until that point, he'd only seen her fierce protectiveness; but this side was something entirely different. Jackie wasn't just some tetchy mother-in-law, she genuinely cared about him.

Finally finding his voice, he answered, "I'm good, thanks."

"Y'sure? You're not lying to me, are ya?" she asked him squarely.

"No, I'm really alright," Ian assured her with a smile.

Satisfied with his answer, she returned his smile. "Good. We can't 'ave you givin' out on us too. I know you'd run y'self ragged takin' care of Rose, but you're just as important. Ya gotta take care of y'self too. Hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, grinning as he gave her a mock salute.

"Ugh!" she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Don't call me ma'am. Makes me feel old." Turning to Tony, she said, "Well, it's time to go home, love. Go put on your trainers."

Tony looked up at her and frowned. "I don't wanna."

"It's not up for discussion. Go get your coat and shoes. Now."

Huffing, he threw his crayon down and crossed his arms. "NO! I wanna stay 'ere."

Jackie's eyes narrowed at his disobedience. "Anthony Allen Tyler... Ya 've got thirty seconds to go get your things before I drag ya outta here by your ear an' not let ya watch telly for a week."

Bright crocodile tears streaked down Tony's cheeks, and Ian's felt a twinge of hurt. "Jackie," he said quietly, "He can stay. It's really fine. I promise he's no trouble. "

Jackie pursed her lips in thought and looked back at her son.

"Please, Mummy," Tony begged. "I don't wanna go."

Finally deciding, she sighed deeply. "Oh alright. I guess if Ian says it's fine, ya can stay. But you're comin' home first thing in the mornin', ya hear me?"

He nodded his head excitedly and ran up to his mother, hugging her tightly again. Turning her attention back to Ian, she asked once more, "Are ya sure that y'don't need anythin' before I go?"

"I'm sure," he reiterated with a warm reassuring smile.

"Alright then," she relented, and pulled him into a hug. Though he was momentarily startled, Ian found himself returning her embrace. She pulled away and smiled at him once more. "Well, I'll get goin'. Ring if ya need me, or if himself becomes too much."

"Okay, I will."

With one more round of hugs for Ian, Tony, and Olivia, Jackie headed out.

Another hour passed and Rose had still not returned downstairs. Ian assumed that she must have been more knackered than he thought, and therefore refrained from disturbing her. Instead, he continued to spend time with Tony and Livy, engaging in whatever activities tickled their fancy. Lunch time came, and Ian refrained from any further attempts at cooking, instead choosing to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich for Tony and cereal for Livy. Afterwards, the two children began to wind down, obviously ready for a kip. Olivia became rather clingy, tightly clutching his shirt and refusing to allow him to put her down. Still holding her, Ian put on a film of Tony's choice and settled on the sofa. Tony quickly collected a blanket and curled up beside Ian. It was not long before Ian felt a wet spot form on his chest. Looking down, he notice Olivia sound asleep and drooling on him. His eyes flickered over to Tony and he found him asleep as well. Contentment washed over him as he took in the scene.

Though he was at complete peace at that moment, Ian decided it was time to check on Rose. Carefully extricating himself from Tony, he gently rose and put Livy in her play pen. He gazed down lovingly at her and gently stroked her chestnut locks, eliciting a soft sigh from the little one. With one more smile, he went to upstairs to see to Rose. As he approached their room, Ian noticed the door open. He frowned, knowing he had most definitely closed in on leaving. Entering the room, he immediately noticed Rose's absence. Though he didn't hear the sound of running water, he checked the en suite; but she wasn't there, either. Knowing that there was no possibility she could have left the house, Ian walked along the upstairs hallway, checking Livy's room and his office as he did. Finally, he came to the room with a plastic drape over the doorway. Stopping directly in front of it, Ian realized that he'd never actually been in this room. Sure, he'd seen it plenty of times, but he hadn't once entered.

Pulling the drape back, Ian stepped in and was instantly arrested by the sight. The room was covered in various intricacies. The ceiling was detailed with moons and stars which cascaded onto the walls. Spectrums of dark blues, reds, and purples covered the walls. The detail was magnificent. As his eyes trailed over the room, Ian saw Rose sitting on the floor, paintbrush in hand and a palette beside her. Dabbing her brush into the paint, she leaned forward and carefully placed it onto the large canvas before her, making delicate strokes to create crimson blades of grass.

"Ya promised not to come in here till I was finished," she said, never taking her eyes away from her work.

"I was worried when I saw you weren't in bed."

"Slept enough, and thought I'd work on this for a bit. I'm already behind on it."

"It's…it's breathtaking," Ian said in earnest.

Rose turned to him for a brief moment, grinning at his praise. "Thanks. I'm just glad I did the ceiling before I swelled up like a whale. Can't imagine trying to climb up on scaffolding as big as I am now," she finished with a chuckle, turning back to her work.

Ian continued to stand there and stare at her in wonder.

"Ya gonna keep standin' there or are ya gonna join me?"

Her words shook him from his trance and he walked over, taking a seat beside her on the floor. They sat there silently for a time, while Rose continued to paint the scene.

"You're very talented," Ian told her, finally breaking the silence.

"Not really," Rose denied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Are joking?" Ian asked in incredulity. "This is extraordinary. All of it. You're so detailed and imaginative. You bring life to the artwork. It's…fantastic."

She turned to him almost bashfully. "Y'really think so?"

"I know so," he insisted.

She quickly placed a kiss to his cheek, and Ian was instantly overcome with the memories and emotions of their evening together. All too quickly it was over, and she leaned back, her thumb stroking his cheek.

"Ta, love."

She looked back down at her palette and began mixing her colors. Ian could tell that she wasn't focusing on the paint, but was instead thinking seriously over something.

Finally summoning her courage, she spoke. "Are…are you alright? And please don't give me that old 'I'm always alright.' Just…just tell me honestly."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, swallowing harshly because he knew the reason for her question.

"What part of honest did ya not understand?" Rose replied, attempting to contain her ire.

"I understood all of it," he retorted, his own tone showing restraint.

"Then why won't you just answer me directly?"

"Because I don't want to discuss it, Rose," Ian said lowly, his vexation rising. He'd somehow managed to keep the memories and guilt of that day buried, and here she was trying to get him to open up.

"I don't understand wh—"

"Don't understand what, Rose?" he cut her off hotly, running an angry hand through his unruly hair. "Don't understand that I don't want to talk about what happened? That I relive that day over and over again, and for once just want to leave it alone? That I don't want to think about how I killed my own father? You telling me that's honestly too hard for you to grasp?"

Rose regarded him quietly, her eyes soft and shining with unshed tears. "No… I don't understand why you won't let me in. Why you keep pushin' me away."

"Why…why does it matter so much to you?" he asked in quiet earnest, genuinely at a loss as to why this was so important to her.

"Because," she started, scooting closer to him, "Because you matter to me. You…you're everythin' to me. I made my choice a long time ago, and there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you. Because if you're not alright, then I'm not alright. Because you're a part of me. I belong with you."

Ian turned from her intense gaze and sniffed. "You don't mean that."

"Yes I bloody well do," she firmly insisted, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her.

"You can't."

"And why can't I? Hmm?" she asked softly, ghosting her thumb across his cheek.

His voice was strained with overwhelming emotion. "Because of who I am… of what I've done."

"I know exactly who you are and what you've done. You're a man who cares so much, that you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You do whatever you can to help, even if it exhausts you to the point of breaking. A man who never gives up, who takes a stand. A man who tried everythin' in his power to help a friend when no one else would. A man that his father proud to call you son. A man," she moved closer, "who is an amazing father to our daughter and will be to our son. A man who makes me weak in the knees just by taking my hand. Whose smile makes me lose all thought and takes my breath away. You're my love… That's who you are."

Ian regarded her in awe as she spoke. Her unwavering love reached out to him, begging for him to just take hold. To believe. And in that moment, he did. There was no denying her any longer. Slowly and still somewhat unsure, Ian lifted his hands and cupped her face. He could see her longing, her eyes practically begging him to follow through. Obediently, he drew her closer to him and gently captured her lips. At the contact, he felt the tension leave his body, and this emboldened him. The kiss deepened and he moved to wrap his arms around her back, pulling her as close to him as possible, as Rose ran her hands through his hair. Ian felt as if he was drowning, but it was a fate he welcomed. Never had he experienced such all-consuming emotions, such longing. Pulling back out of sheer need for air, he rested his forehead against hers as he tried to regain his breath. Rose continued to hold his head in her hands, her fingers stroking his hair.

Feeling her eyes on him, he opened his own and saw a few tears escape and trickle down her cheek. As their eyes met, a smile overtook her beautiful features.

Searching his eyes, she sighed happily at what she found. "There you are," she said, moving her hands to cup his face. Place a few more languid kisses to her lips, Ian pulled her to him, allowing her to bury herself into his chest as he rested his chin on her head. They remained quietly entwined until a small voice broke their tranquility.

"Rose… I'm hungry," Tony said sleepily.

"He really is a bottomless pit," Ian murmured against her hair, inciting Rose to giggle.

Placing a soft kiss to her head, he reluctantly released her from his embrace and stood. Walking over to Tony, he grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder, causing Tony to shriek in surprise and delight.

"Alright, little man. Let's get something to eat."

"You're not gonna cook again, are ya?"

Ian began to grumble, and Rose couldn't help but laugh as she watched the two of them banter back and forth as they left the room.

The day passed rather quickly, as Ian allowed himself to bask in his current reality. Before long, it was time to put the children to bed. Rose gathered an already sleeping Livy and took her upstairs to her room. Since the guest room was now being converted into a nursery, a bed was made on the sofa for Tony, who insisted that Ian read to him. Ian settled on the sofa, and Tony rested his head in Ian's lap. After three stories, Tony was finally out for the night, and Ian carefully slid off the couch and made his way upstairs. Entering the bedroom, he saw Rose already tucked in, but trying valiantly to remain awake. On seeing him, she gave him a tired smile.

"Takes 'im forever to go to sleep doesn't it?"

"Forever is an understatement," he replied with a grin, as he stripped down to his boxers and threw on an undershirt.

Turning off the light, he crawled into bed. Rose moved over and snuggled into him, placing her head on his chest. Now that she was closer, he could see that her eyes were becoming heavier, ready to close at any minute.

"He's kickin' again. Here," she took his hand and placed it to the swell of her stomach, "Feel."

At first, Ian felt no movement. Just as he was about to remove his hand, he felt a small but persistent nudge beneath his hand. It was over within a few seconds, but it was long enough for Ian to be effected, and he felt a solitary tear trail down his face. Pulling Rose closer to him, he placed a kiss to her crown and sighed in perfect contentment. It was then that he again allowed his emotions to lead him, and he spoke the words he'd refused to say for too long.

"I love you."

When no response came, he looked down, and in the moonlight, he saw Rose had finally succumbed to sleep. Placing one more kiss to her head, he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tighter around her. She may not have heard him, but he didn't allow that to bother him. He knew there'd be plenty of other opportunities. Content with that knowledge, Ian slowly drifted off.