The first hour had been nice. He'd rubbed her stomach and told her what he was doing and some of it had been vaguely interesting.

Close on the second hour, she'd got bored and yelled, and Jack had come running to entertain her while the Doctor waved whatever glowing, buzzing or wave-emitting instrument that he was using at that moment.

He got excited from time to time, still awestruck that this baby was Gallifreyan. Pure Gallifreyan. The TARDIS had seen to that, although from scans they already knew that the girl would be a spunky brunette, just like her mum had been. And to be fair, like her Dad now was.

It was times like that the old Doctor poked through, making the new one jump up and down, or beam, or dance. Rose had watched, laughing, as he'd grabbed Jack's hands and pulled him around the lab, singing 'she's a time child, yeah, yeah, yeah!' to the distorted tune of 'She loves you'.

He had a stethoscope and that'd been fun, because it was sonic and had no connector, meaning he could stick the round bit on top of her tummy, and still wander round the medi-lab. She'd insisted on putting it up his top and over his hearts, and Jack and her had an earpiece each and played some seriously good air drumming on the table, in time with the beats.

The Doctor had rolled his eyes and made various derogatory comments, and then a 3D image of the baby had flashed up on an A3 screen, revolving, and they'd fallen silent.

Jack had stumbled out, mumbling something about giving them some time alone. He almost made it outside without crying. And Rose and the Doctor watched open mouthed as their child sucked its thumb.

They stared across the gulf hand in hand, aware to unaware, vast to innocent. Tiny hearts beat in time with the Doctor's, and Rose's padded comfortably in between, supported and supporting.

The image was 3D and black and white, but adorned with beautiful colour, no doubt telling the Doctor a multitude of facts, but to Rose she looked exactly like London at midnight, New Year, 2004. Christmas lights, fairy lights, the whole city had been awash and united in colour because something magnificently new was starting.

A cluster of brilliantly radiant lights formed the outline of a back, a neck, a head. They pulsed gently, the centre of the Gallifreyan star-like and a deep red, but the flickers around it spreading out to violets, yellows, oranges and pinks. At the very middle of the baby's hearts was a spark of gold, and the rest of the screen was flecked with dancing silver, like snow.

The same feelings she'd had back at the flat blossomed. It was the same breathless delight; knowledge that something unique was pouring into the world, and something beautiful at that.

Unconsciously she was drawn back to her balcony outside her bedroom window. It had been nearly six months now.

London, New Year's Eve 2004

She'd watched the decorations twinkle below her, safe in the arms of the Doctor, cold biting at the back of her throat. She had a stupidly long scarf wrapped around her nose but it didn't stop the smell of the winter air, or the Doctor, who smelt of oranges and cloves and flavoured red wine.

Jackie was out down the road, and wouldn't be back for hours now Billy Coup had finally asked her out. Jack was similarly engaged. They had the flat to themselves, and were waiting for the countdown.

She sighed deeply in contentment. She was tired, and maybe a little intoxicated, but it was a good tiredness, one that came with an ache of certainty that soon she'd be asleep. The illumination splintered as she squinted.

The Doctor crossed his arms over her stomach, one hand on each of her hips, his head on her shoulder. The lights and the music; all of it seemed brighter when he was there, and it stretched like a new galaxy in front of them.

Snow had been falling all evening, and it was still and fine, and something like electricity tinged the air around them.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six.."

She whispered into his ear.

"Can you feel it? Can you?"

The Doctor smiled; he knew exactly what she meant.

"Yes. Everything's ..incandescent…"

"Five, four, three…"

"Somethin' amazing's gonna to happen…"

"Two, one, happy-"

The Doctor unwound the scarf slowly, his hazel eyes reflecting hers, and she spun round at the last loop, giggling, exhaled air frosting because of the snow. He laughed, and kissed her, his mouth sweet and hot.

He pushed her down on top of the blanket, the balcony cold, but the Doctor's weight warm. She pulled him down for another kiss.

Clothes were placed aside and skin caressed skin. The noise of the party floated up as Rose felt him push inside her, hands curling in his soft brown hair and then running over his back. She whimpered as they started to move, slow and sure.

There was something right about doing this here, with the duvet from her old room, picking up both their scents. The Doctor was in every bit of her life now. She gasped as he drew a licked finger over her breasts and lower, the cold air setting the trails alight.

Their legs and hand intertwined, and Rose marvelled his near weightlessness. He was luminescent in the semi-darkness, golden, but then she realised that it really wasn't that surprising. He'd shone during regeneration, why not now? The surprising thing was that she was glowing too.

"We're aflame," he whispered into her mind, while moaning and burying himself deeper. She kissed him deeply, "Do you know what it means?", he asked silently.

She felt his uncertainty, but she sent an image of both of them holding a child.

He moaned again and his thrusts became harder, and as they did the light spread over the balcony, making the snow crystals sparkle. Rose moved with him and watched, eyes glazed and wide.

They came together in an onslaught of colour, and for a second Rose was sure they hovered in the sky over London, watching Big Ben, the millennium wheel, fireworks, stars, and the turn of the earth.

When she fell back she was already asleep.

The lab

She was the first one to break the silence as the baby kicked a tiny foot.

"Oh!…how incredible is that?"

The Doctor beamed and scooped her off the table. She whined in protest as the image disappeared, but he spun her around and she tried desperately to dance with him, but swayed and giggled because her stomach was too big. It still set her off balance.

"She's kicking again!"

The Doctor's hands were soft, but cold up her top. She squealed and pushed him away.

"You're freezing!"

"Sorry," he laughed, looking anything but. He grabbed her hand instead.

"Lets go and get Jack and make sure he hasn't chucked himself out of an airlock…"

Rose was pulled out of the door at a slow jog.

"Why would he do that?"

"Being a con-man all that time! The innocence of life will have doubtless made him feel guilt beyond reason. "

"Sure," she angled them for the kitchen, "can we get food on the way please?"

He stopped suddenly and she fell over in a heap. He got out his screwdriver and waved it over her.

"Blood-sugar's a bit low. Porridge again?"

She mock glared at him from the carpet, and he grinned innocently.

"Porridge with syrup would be great.."

"Right then."

He pulled her up with a hand.

"Run!"

-------end--------

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