Chapter 3

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When she was younger, Jenny had often seen women act friendly towards her father. It was only when she was older that she realised they had been flirting with him; she'd thought, up until then, that he was merely popular, rather than generally considered attractive. Back then she had wondered why he hadn't tried to extend the friendship. Nowadays, it amused her to see him swat away their flirtations, whether they be shallow or downright crude. No matter who the woman was, he tended to politely dismiss them.

So for her to sit and see him practically encourage a woman to be close to him, let alone see him gently caress the hair of a woman in his arms, was a completely new experience. The main difference, she supposed, was that this woman hadn't deliberately sought him out. Instead, he had done all the offering. The fact that Jenny loved watching Donna Noble on television had nothing to do with it. He'd been ignorant of Donna's existence up until the moment he'd found her sobbing in his classroom. Was the fact he had been able to do all the running the main attraction for him, where this woman was concerned? Part of her hoped that wasn't the case, or the whole reason.

As she watched her father run his hand lovingly over the long hair of a lightly snoozing Donna, Jenny noted that she actually wanted him to fall in love with the celebrity in their midst, and it wasn't for completely selfish reasons. Okay, she could acknowledge some personal kudos would be involved, because just think of all the famous people she might end up rubbing shoulders with and the opportunities in life that could bring.

Who knew, she thought as the phone began to ring, that could possibly be one of those famous people calling right that second. "I'll get it," she told her dazed father and the stirring Donna.

Running to pick up the call, she greeted them with, "Hello. How can I help you?"

"Hello sweetheart," the man on the other end replied. "We got a call from this number earlier tonight, from our Donna. This is Wilf. Is she still there?"

"Hang on. I'll find out," Jenny answered, and ran back into the lounge with her hand over the mouthpiece. "There's somebody called Wilf trying to call you back on our number," she informed Donna.

Donna immediately sat up and away from John's embrace and wiped a hand over her face. "I'll take it, please." Silently thanking Jenny for handing over the handset, she cleared her throat and brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello Gramps," she cautiously began, "it's me."

Although he was immensely curious about the call, John tried to politely not listen in. Would she mention him? Was she enjoying herself staying with them? Or was she desperate to return to her home as soon as possible?

"No, I'm fine," she was saying. "I met up with a friend of Dad's and he's been looking after me, keeping me fed and safe, so don't worry. Can I ask a favour though. Would you phone Patrice for me and get her to give me a call on this number? She should be in Mum's phone book under 'D'."

"I'm not a friend of your dad's. I never even met him," John felt compelled to point out when she stopped talking.

"That may be true, but Gramps doesn't need to know yet," Donna replied. "All he wanted to hear was that I'm safe." She quietly listened to the phone for a few seconds before commenting to John, "He's gone to find the phone book. I can now hear him rifling through the pages. Ah, he's back. Did you find it? That's it, off Golden Square. Give that a call and if necessary, leave a voice message. I'll call you tomorrow and don't let Mum give you too much of an ear-battering. Love you. Bye!"

When her attention returned to him, John asked, "How did that go?"

"Not too bad," she admitted. "At least it was him and not Mum."

"A bit vicious, is she?"

"And the rest," she snorted. "Apparently, she was furious with me for running off and being embarrassing. Yeah, it was all about her. Not."

Time to bring the comfort on again, he thought. "If you can't be embarrassing when jilted, when can you be? I don't think you were wrong for running."

"You're so sweet to me." She gave his arm a tender touch. "Sorry for dozing off like that. How long was I asleep for?"

"No problem. It was only a few minutes. Twenty max. And you've had a long, emotional day. It's taken a lot out of you," he kindly replied. "That was Gramps your grandfather on the phone, I take it?"

"Yes. He'd been out with his 'Silver Cloak' mates trying to find me, obviously without much luck, until he got home and heard my voice message on the answer machine."

"Thank goodness somebody cares."

"Yeah," she sniffed. "Anyway, enough of all that. He is going to get in touch with my agent in the morning and ask if they'll arrange something. Hopefully, I'll be out of your hair tomorrow."

Great, he didn't want to say. "Until then, you've got to put up with us," he teased instead.

"Poor me. Almost alone with a handsome man, in our own version of 'there was only one bed'."

Jenny immediately dissolved into fits of laughter, but John was confused. "But we've got more beds than only one," he tried to correct. "Haven't we, Jenny."

"Dad, she is talking about romantic fiction. The sort where they accidentally end up staying in a place with only one bed."

Smiling, he raised an eyebrow at Donna. "You see this as romantic?" Then spoilt the moment by rounding on Jenny with, "What are you doing reading romances like that? Sounds a bit smutty, to me."

"It tends to be," Donna agreed, "but how else is a young woman supposed to learn what should happen in a healthy sexual relationship in a safe way? Are you able to discuss that sort of thing?"

"Certainly not. If I had my way, Jenny would never have to know."

Donna leaned closer to point out, "In case you weren't aware, the world of Peter Pan isn't real. People have to grow up. Women don't have to live with the horror of knowing nothing at all on their wedding night anymore. They can even expect to enjoy it."

Still giggling, Jenny informed her perplexed father, "This is why we love watching her."

"I can see why," he muttered as he attempted to push those wedding night thoughts clear out of his head.

Just after ten o'clock, Jenny stood and announced, "I'm off to bed so I'll leave you two to sort out your sleeping arrangements."

She gave each of them a goodnight kiss and then gazed them in expectation. Would they actually do something with their situation now? No doubt she would find out quite soon.

As soon as Jenny had walked away, Donna felt dutybound to offer, "I'll take the settee here. Should be nice and cosy."

"There's no need for anyone to sleep down here as there's a spare bed upstairs which I will take. You can have mine."

"But…" Donna opened her mouth to argue about the fairness of the arrangement, but his gentlemanly ways would not allow it.

"No ifs or buts, I insist you take my bed tonight. I can easily sleep in the spare room."

"That's too kind of you," she allowed. "The other problem I have is no sleepwear. Do you have a nightdress or a pair of pyjamas that'll fit me?"

"Erm. Jenny is quite petite so I will dig you out some of my pyjamas. The jacket should cover everything even if the trousers turn out to be too big."

"Are you implying my bust is large?" she griped.

His eyes went wide. "I erm… well… no, of course not."

In reply, she burst into laughter. "I'm teasing. You adorable div! The size of my chest is exactly the problem, but I appreciate you pretending it isn't."

He grinned back in relief.

But it faltered slightly when she sighed, "However will I repay all your kindness?"

"You don't have to. Having you here is payment enough."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she joked, giving his shoulder a nudge. "Now, where's this set of pyjamas that might fit me?"

Okay, that could have gone smoother, she thought as she lay in his bed. How many of his teenage pupils dreamed of being in that exact spot? Had she ever had a similar crush on a teacher? Not really. I mean, one of the PE teachers, Mr Owens had been quite tasty, but she had never stepped over into fantasy land. Not like Christine Massingham had. Poor cow. All that pining and unrequited love. Had made her look a right idiot to everybody else.

As she lay there, Donna had one question in her mind: who was the idiot now? Lusting after a teacher in her thirties. How messed up was that? But she had to admit, his pyjama jacket smelled gorgeous (she would have to ask what washing powder they used), and it felt incredibly soft next to her skin. So what if she snuggled up in it. After the rotten day she'd had, she was entitled to some comfort.

There was another aspect to this to consider. If she had inadvertently caught sight of him coming out of the bathroom in just his pyjama trousers because, as he had admitted, he didn't tend to wear the jackets, so his bare upper torso was accidentally on display; there was no harm in that. It just added to any pleasant thoughts she had before going to sleep.

With a satisfied yawn, she turned into her pillow and drifted off.

She woke early the next morning after a surprisingly satisfying sleep, feeling reinvigorated. Standing to stretch out her body, she felt as though this might be a much better day. "Now to see what the weather is doing," she decided as she made her way over to the bedroom curtains.

Pulling the edge of the nearest curtain aside, she had only opened it a few centimetres when she shrieked loudly in horror. "Oh God! No!"

Her stare was trapped by the view through the window. Outside on the pavement were several photographers with their cameras aimed in her direction, and a newscast van parked on the road.

A friendly blur entered the room.

"What is it? What's happened?" John queried as he rushed to her side.

All he saw was Donna still in his pyjama jacket, and not much else. Great legs, he thought before logic forced him to temporarily abandon his admiration. She was shaking in terror with her hand clamped onto his curtains, unable to move.

Carefully, he undid her tight hold on the material before wrapping her up in a comforting hug with his chin resting on her head. It was only then that he glanced out of the window and saw the assembled media outside. "Oh shit," he whispered. "How the hell did they find you?"

"Some neighbour, no doubt, knowing people. Never mind that. You're half naked," she mumbled against his neck, so he quickly drew the curtains shut again.

Semi-darkness returned to the room. At least she wasn't keen to let go of him yet, he reasoned as her arms tightened around his waist. "Are you okay?"

"No," came her muffled voice. "But give me a minute or so and I might be."

Clasping her closer, he assured her, "There's no hurry. Take your time."

"How did you get to be this nice?"

"Years of being in the friend zone, I suppose."

She pulled back slightly to admonish him. "You, in the friend zone? Come off it! No doubt you've had plenty of offers."

"Okay. Maybe, but what if I deliberately put myself in the friend zone?"

"Could happen," she agreed. "Not sure why you would."

He gave a defensive sniff. "Just didn't want any fuss or bother."

"But someone like you ought to be bothering. Anyone would want you."

He eased millimetres nearer to murmur, "Someone like you, for instance?"

Their eyes met in the gloom of the half-light, and the intensity she saw in his warm brown eyes fascinated her, casting a spell that couldn't easily be broken.

"I…" Those lips of his were tantalisingly close. Kissable distance. She opened up to accept his offering and then heard Jenny out on the landing, moving about, so she hastily placed a hand on his bare chest to push him away.

Quite a nice, warm, slightly hair chest, that had to be resisted she idly thought, giving his skin a tender rub. It caused an unwanted tingle through her body. Oops. This situation had to be nipped in the bud. "Does Jenny's mum live nearby? You haven't said much about her."

"Who?" he muttered, coming out of his daze. "We broke up long ago when she left us to go on her archaeological digs with her fancy man; and she died soon after. Does that have any relevance to this?"

"She won't see you all over the news with me in a bedroom, for a start," Donna reasoned. "Hopefully they'll keep you well out of it, but I won't hold my breath while I wait for that to happen."

"This is a bit compromising," he agreed.

She gave him a cheeky smile. "Must have looked as though you're completely naked, from down there by the road."

"Do you really think so?" He almost opened the curtain again to have a look. "Yes, I suppose it's best we go do something else."

"Like have some breakfast."

With a mutual nod, they parted.