Fic : Second Chance (PG) | Sarah Jane/Peter Dalton | 12/?
Title : Second Chance
Author : Jen
Rating : PG at the moment, possibly higher in later parts.
Summary : Sarah would give anything to see Peter one last time. With a little help from the Universe and the Doctor, she may just get her wish.
Spoilers : fair game for everything up to and including "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith" from S3.
Notes : bit of a baby part this one, but if you've been paying attention then there should be some questions forming...!
Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8 ~ Part 9 ~ Part 10
Part 11
~~~
It happened when Nicole was seven months old. They'd believed that their run of bad luck was over, not that it had been planned. On a whim Sarah had taken a pregnancy test, and stared in shock as the second line appeared on the white stick. Shoving it into her pocket she went downstairs where Peter was already trying to encourage Nicole that she wanted to eat the food he was presenting to her instead of redecorate the kitchen in it.
"Maybe Mummy will have better luck," he said to the brown-eyed girl who was grinning up at her mother.
"Maybe," she said, slightly distracted.
"You OK?" Peter asked.
"Let me try," she said, ignoring the question. She slipped into Peter's vacated seat and picked up the plastic spoon. "Come on then, little one. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
Nicole happily accepted the spoon, her lips and tongue smacking the paste around her mouth. The new tastes were obviously not to her liking and she screwed up her face in protest and scowled.
"Oh she looks just like you," Peter exclaimed.
Sarah glanced up at him with a look on her face.
"Yes, exactly like that!" he laughed. When Sarah didn't retort he knew that something was up. Picking up the bowl from in front of Nicole, he removed the offending item which made his daughter so much happier. If only it was all going to be that simple. "I'll get her something else," he said, moving away to the sink but keeping Sarah in his peripheral vision.
Sarah wiped Nicole's face down, clearing off the food that she'd managed to get all over the place. Her daughter was, as always, so placid and complacent with her; happy to let Sarah fuss and do whatever she wanted - well, within reason. As soon as mum stopped what she was doing and began staring into space, Nicole pulled a face.
"I think someone wants you," Peter said.
She jumped, not expecting his voice to be so close.
"Sarah?"
She wasn't going to be able to put him off any longer, and so she shoved her hand into her pocket, her fingers closing around the stick. She pulled it out and held it out to Peter who didn't even bother to take it.
"You wouldn't be this distracted if it was negative."
She said nothing.
"You OK?"
"I... don't know. For one thing, Nicole's only a few months old!"
"So they'll be close."
"After everything..."
"Hey," he said, kissing the top of her head, "it'll be fine. There's proof that it can happen right in front of you."
Nicole reached out and Sarah moved her hand within reach. Her tiny fingers grabbed around one of hers and she grinned up at her mother.
"See?" Peter said, resting his cheek on her head. "Might just be fine."
~~
She miscarried at five weeks.
Sarah woke at four in the morning, the familiar crushing pain across her stomach pulling her out of her dream of a Sunday afternoon picnic with her little family of four. In her dream it had been a boy, his head full of black curls. Nicole was a miniature her, but the boy - what had been his name? - was Peter through and through.
Pushing back the covers she staggered to the bathroom. Let Peter sleep for a little bit longer, maybe he was dreaming of his son too, there would be time for grief later.
~~
When she came home from the hospital she ignored Lavinia and went straight upstairs to Nicole's room. She had just been put down for her afternoon nap but was still awake. Without thinking about the consequences of disturbing Nicole's routine, Sarah lifted her up into her arms and held her tight against her chest. Sarah rocked gently and Nicole settled in her arms, listening to her mother's heartbeat.
Sarah inhaled deeply, breathing in that scent that was so familiar to her and so overwhelming. Her beautiful baby girl, her little miracle. She had a child, she was a mother. In eighteen years' time she would meet Luke... Maybe he would complete their family as a fourth rather than a fifth.
This was it. She'd said once before that she couldn't go through it again but this time she meant it. She was going to focus on raising her daughter, building a home, and preparing Peter for the day when her past would come crashing into their lives. One day the Doctor would arrive at a seemingly ordinary high school, right about the time she would get suspicious about UFOs and record results.
If she was honest she was dreading that day too. If she didn't go then she wouldn't be set on the course that led to the house in Bannerman Road and her investigation of Bubble Shock. If she went then she would stand in front of the last Time Lord with the weight of a changed history behind her. He would know, right? He would look at her and he would... just know.
What then? What about her little and perfect family? Nicole was everything to her, Peter a very close second. She would do anything and everything to protect her daughter and that overwhelmed her. If the Doctor wanted to take her back then he would have one hell of a fight on her hands. She smiled as she remembered all the times they would fight and banter and she realised that all of that would seem like a minor disagreement.
Nicole finally fell asleep in her arms and it was with reluctance that Sarah put her down in her crib. She watched her daughter sleep until the familiar arms wrapped around her stomach.
"We OK?" Peter whispered in her ear.
"We're fine."
"You OK then?"
"...I will be."
"I spoke to the doctor at the hospital."
"Peter..."
"For me. We are not going to go through that again, I promise."
She turned in his arm to look at him. "You're sure?"
He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose. "It is my duty to protect my wife."
"Your duty?" she laughed; a real laugh.
"You know what I mean. I hate seeing you like this, and she needs a mum who's..."
"Not terrified of falling pregnant again?"
"Something like that. We have our family. You and I survived as only children, I'm sure Nicole will too. Let's just... focus on her, OK?"
"I love you," Sarah breathed, never meaning it more than she did right then.
"I love you too," he replied.
tbc...
Author : Jen
Rating : PG at the moment, possibly higher in later parts.
Summary : Sarah would give anything to see Peter one last time. With a little help from the Universe and the Doctor, she may just get her wish.
Spoilers : fair game for everything up to and including "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith" from S3.
Notes : bit of a baby part this one, but if you've been paying attention then there should be some questions forming...!
Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8 ~ Part 9 ~ Part 10
Part 11
~~~
It happened when Nicole was seven months old. They'd believed that their run of bad luck was over, not that it had been planned. On a whim Sarah had taken a pregnancy test, and stared in shock as the second line appeared on the white stick. Shoving it into her pocket she went downstairs where Peter was already trying to encourage Nicole that she wanted to eat the food he was presenting to her instead of redecorate the kitchen in it.
"Maybe Mummy will have better luck," he said to the brown-eyed girl who was grinning up at her mother.
"Maybe," she said, slightly distracted.
"You OK?" Peter asked.
"Let me try," she said, ignoring the question. She slipped into Peter's vacated seat and picked up the plastic spoon. "Come on then, little one. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
Nicole happily accepted the spoon, her lips and tongue smacking the paste around her mouth. The new tastes were obviously not to her liking and she screwed up her face in protest and scowled.
"Oh she looks just like you," Peter exclaimed.
Sarah glanced up at him with a look on her face.
"Yes, exactly like that!" he laughed. When Sarah didn't retort he knew that something was up. Picking up the bowl from in front of Nicole, he removed the offending item which made his daughter so much happier. If only it was all going to be that simple. "I'll get her something else," he said, moving away to the sink but keeping Sarah in his peripheral vision.
Sarah wiped Nicole's face down, clearing off the food that she'd managed to get all over the place. Her daughter was, as always, so placid and complacent with her; happy to let Sarah fuss and do whatever she wanted - well, within reason. As soon as mum stopped what she was doing and began staring into space, Nicole pulled a face.
"I think someone wants you," Peter said.
She jumped, not expecting his voice to be so close.
"Sarah?"
She wasn't going to be able to put him off any longer, and so she shoved her hand into her pocket, her fingers closing around the stick. She pulled it out and held it out to Peter who didn't even bother to take it.
"You wouldn't be this distracted if it was negative."
She said nothing.
"You OK?"
"I... don't know. For one thing, Nicole's only a few months old!"
"So they'll be close."
"After everything..."
"Hey," he said, kissing the top of her head, "it'll be fine. There's proof that it can happen right in front of you."
Nicole reached out and Sarah moved her hand within reach. Her tiny fingers grabbed around one of hers and she grinned up at her mother.
"See?" Peter said, resting his cheek on her head. "Might just be fine."
~~
She miscarried at five weeks.
Sarah woke at four in the morning, the familiar crushing pain across her stomach pulling her out of her dream of a Sunday afternoon picnic with her little family of four. In her dream it had been a boy, his head full of black curls. Nicole was a miniature her, but the boy - what had been his name? - was Peter through and through.
Pushing back the covers she staggered to the bathroom. Let Peter sleep for a little bit longer, maybe he was dreaming of his son too, there would be time for grief later.
~~
When she came home from the hospital she ignored Lavinia and went straight upstairs to Nicole's room. She had just been put down for her afternoon nap but was still awake. Without thinking about the consequences of disturbing Nicole's routine, Sarah lifted her up into her arms and held her tight against her chest. Sarah rocked gently and Nicole settled in her arms, listening to her mother's heartbeat.
Sarah inhaled deeply, breathing in that scent that was so familiar to her and so overwhelming. Her beautiful baby girl, her little miracle. She had a child, she was a mother. In eighteen years' time she would meet Luke... Maybe he would complete their family as a fourth rather than a fifth.
This was it. She'd said once before that she couldn't go through it again but this time she meant it. She was going to focus on raising her daughter, building a home, and preparing Peter for the day when her past would come crashing into their lives. One day the Doctor would arrive at a seemingly ordinary high school, right about the time she would get suspicious about UFOs and record results.
If she was honest she was dreading that day too. If she didn't go then she wouldn't be set on the course that led to the house in Bannerman Road and her investigation of Bubble Shock. If she went then she would stand in front of the last Time Lord with the weight of a changed history behind her. He would know, right? He would look at her and he would... just know.
What then? What about her little and perfect family? Nicole was everything to her, Peter a very close second. She would do anything and everything to protect her daughter and that overwhelmed her. If the Doctor wanted to take her back then he would have one hell of a fight on her hands. She smiled as she remembered all the times they would fight and banter and she realised that all of that would seem like a minor disagreement.
Nicole finally fell asleep in her arms and it was with reluctance that Sarah put her down in her crib. She watched her daughter sleep until the familiar arms wrapped around her stomach.
"We OK?" Peter whispered in her ear.
"We're fine."
"You OK then?"
"...I will be."
"I spoke to the doctor at the hospital."
"Peter..."
"For me. We are not going to go through that again, I promise."
She turned in his arm to look at him. "You're sure?"
He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose. "It is my duty to protect my wife."
"Your duty?" she laughed; a real laugh.
"You know what I mean. I hate seeing you like this, and she needs a mum who's..."
"Not terrified of falling pregnant again?"
"Something like that. We have our family. You and I survived as only children, I'm sure Nicole will too. Let's just... focus on her, OK?"
"I love you," Sarah breathed, never meaning it more than she did right then.
"I love you too," he replied.
tbc...