A Baby By Any Other Name
Title: A Baby By Any Other Name
Author: Tess/mihane_echo
Rating: Rated GBF for Gooshy Baby!Fic
Word Count: 735
Spoilers: Through Series 4
Summary: The rude, ginger, maniac half-human, half-Time Lord munchkin needs a name. <3
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to the Beeb and I'm borrowing it to play with. I promise I will return them (marginally) unharmed. ;3
Author's Note: This started as a response to the doctor_donna weekly challenge, but it got away from me, and I'm not sure it really qualifies anymore... I still like it tho.
"Babe, can I say something?" Donna spoke with a careful tone, knowing how sensitive the topic at hand was. She wanted the Doctor to know that she understood the gravity of what she was about to say, so she set the paper in her hands down onto her lap and turned her complete attention to him. One hand rested affectionately on her round belly.
The Doctor peered at her over the top of his spectacles, drifting away from the naming list he also held. He looked a little blank, as he usually did when he was tense or worried and trying not to show it; Donna knew him well enough that she could still see the concern in his brown eyes.
"Of course you can," he said; his voice was more chipper than his expression.
Donna took a breath and then said gently, "I sort of... hate it. A little."
His eyes flew open in surprised dismay. "What? Why?"
One eyebrow quirked up contemptuously. "Have you seen the film?"
The Doctor flushed, not really wanting to admit out loud how many times he'd seen the film; as he opened his mouth to reply, Donna added, "She'll be sung at everywhere she goes."
He blinked. Oh, that film. He hadn’t even thought of that one.
He wondered if he should tell her the real inspiration of his choice, and then winced. She’d laugh at him.
"Not if she isn't ginger," he protested weakly. He knew that wasn't much of a defense, but he really loved the name. It meant something to him, passion and strength and curiosity and intelligence, all things to aspire to, things he wished for his unborn daughter.
Donna's eyebrows furrowed. "Right. Because the chance of her being a raven-haired, green-eyed Egyptian princess is so high," she said sarcastically.
"Well, no, of course not," grumbled the Doctor, rolling his eyes at the ridiculous idea. As though his genetics mixed with Donna's would ever result in black hair and green eyes. "The chance of her being a skinny brunette, on the other hand..."
"We aren't naming her Anne," stated Donna with finality. "Anne turns into Annie just like," she snapped her fingers, "that." She shook her head at her husband. "It's like asking for it, ginger baby named Annie."
The Doctor pursed his lips, looking down at his lap intensely. Then he murmured something unintelligible; Donna had to lean forward to hear him. "Pardon?"
"I wasn‘t thinking of Annie," he repeated, pouting a little.
Donna thought for a moment, wondering what he had possibly thought of; the image of a ginger orphan with pigtails and a carpetbag flashed in her mind and she burst into laughter. It was one of the only books she frequently found on the table at his side of the bed.
"Anne of Green Gables, of course!" She leaned into his shoulder, giggling in utter amusement, and the Doctor flushed. He plucked off his glasses and let his wife have her laugh at him; when she finished, settling against him with a glowing smile, he clasped his hand around hers and looked down at her. Donna felt moved at the emotion she saw in his eyes.
"I know you don't believe me, but names have power. And Anne is a strong name. It inspires curiosity, creativity, compassion..."
"Stubbornness?" Donna smirked at him. "She's already going to have all that from you, Doctor."
The Doctor looked properly miserable for a moment, sinking into the couch in resignation; Donna felt a wave of guilt suddenly. As they sat together, the Doctor's gaze dropped down, and with his free right hand he reached out and tenderly rubbed her belly.
That was when she realized then that he'd already named their daughter Anne in his head; there wasn't any getting out of this without breaking both of his hearts into teeny bits. She chewed the tip of her tongue and then held her hand over his, gave it a squeeze.
“Oh, awright," she said, "I give up. Anne‘s fine.”
He grinned at her from under his lashes. "Really?"
"Yep,” she said with a smile; she pressed forward to kiss him deeply. Then she pulled away, her smile broadening into a mischievous grin. “You‘ve finally won a row, Spaceman, I hope you‘re happy."
“I am, thanks,” he returned brightly.
A little push against their hands was more than enough proof that Anne was satisfied too.
end
Author: Tess/mihane_echo
Rating: Rated GBF for Gooshy Baby!Fic
Word Count: 735
Spoilers: Through Series 4
Summary: The rude, ginger, maniac half-human, half-Time Lord munchkin needs a name. <3
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to the Beeb and I'm borrowing it to play with. I promise I will return them (marginally) unharmed. ;3
Author's Note: This started as a response to the doctor_donna weekly challenge, but it got away from me, and I'm not sure it really qualifies anymore... I still like it tho.
"Babe, can I say something?" Donna spoke with a careful tone, knowing how sensitive the topic at hand was. She wanted the Doctor to know that she understood the gravity of what she was about to say, so she set the paper in her hands down onto her lap and turned her complete attention to him. One hand rested affectionately on her round belly.
The Doctor peered at her over the top of his spectacles, drifting away from the naming list he also held. He looked a little blank, as he usually did when he was tense or worried and trying not to show it; Donna knew him well enough that she could still see the concern in his brown eyes.
"Of course you can," he said; his voice was more chipper than his expression.
Donna took a breath and then said gently, "I sort of... hate it. A little."
His eyes flew open in surprised dismay. "What? Why?"
One eyebrow quirked up contemptuously. "Have you seen the film?"
The Doctor flushed, not really wanting to admit out loud how many times he'd seen the film; as he opened his mouth to reply, Donna added, "She'll be sung at everywhere she goes."
He blinked. Oh, that film. He hadn’t even thought of that one.
He wondered if he should tell her the real inspiration of his choice, and then winced. She’d laugh at him.
"Not if she isn't ginger," he protested weakly. He knew that wasn't much of a defense, but he really loved the name. It meant something to him, passion and strength and curiosity and intelligence, all things to aspire to, things he wished for his unborn daughter.
Donna's eyebrows furrowed. "Right. Because the chance of her being a raven-haired, green-eyed Egyptian princess is so high," she said sarcastically.
"Well, no, of course not," grumbled the Doctor, rolling his eyes at the ridiculous idea. As though his genetics mixed with Donna's would ever result in black hair and green eyes. "The chance of her being a skinny brunette, on the other hand..."
"We aren't naming her Anne," stated Donna with finality. "Anne turns into Annie just like," she snapped her fingers, "that." She shook her head at her husband. "It's like asking for it, ginger baby named Annie."
The Doctor pursed his lips, looking down at his lap intensely. Then he murmured something unintelligible; Donna had to lean forward to hear him. "Pardon?"
"I wasn‘t thinking of Annie," he repeated, pouting a little.
Donna thought for a moment, wondering what he had possibly thought of; the image of a ginger orphan with pigtails and a carpetbag flashed in her mind and she burst into laughter. It was one of the only books she frequently found on the table at his side of the bed.
"Anne of Green Gables, of course!" She leaned into his shoulder, giggling in utter amusement, and the Doctor flushed. He plucked off his glasses and let his wife have her laugh at him; when she finished, settling against him with a glowing smile, he clasped his hand around hers and looked down at her. Donna felt moved at the emotion she saw in his eyes.
"I know you don't believe me, but names have power. And Anne is a strong name. It inspires curiosity, creativity, compassion..."
"Stubbornness?" Donna smirked at him. "She's already going to have all that from you, Doctor."
The Doctor looked properly miserable for a moment, sinking into the couch in resignation; Donna felt a wave of guilt suddenly. As they sat together, the Doctor's gaze dropped down, and with his free right hand he reached out and tenderly rubbed her belly.
That was when she realized then that he'd already named their daughter Anne in his head; there wasn't any getting out of this without breaking both of his hearts into teeny bits. She chewed the tip of her tongue and then held her hand over his, gave it a squeeze.
“Oh, awright," she said, "I give up. Anne‘s fine.”
He grinned at her from under his lashes. "Really?"
"Yep,” she said with a smile; she pressed forward to kiss him deeply. Then she pulled away, her smile broadening into a mischievous grin. “You‘ve finally won a row, Spaceman, I hope you‘re happy."
“I am, thanks,” he returned brightly.
A little push against their hands was more than enough proof that Anne was satisfied too.
end