Unexpected (17/25ish?)
Title: Unexpected
Author: hhertzof
Rating: PG
Beta: paranoidangel42
Summary: What happens after Inconceivable
Blame: paranoidangel42 and everyone else who's been encouraging me.
As usual x-posted to my lj.
Chapter 1: Old Friends
Chapter 11: Serendipity
Chapter 2: Girl Talk
Chapter 12: Road Trip
Chapter 3: Ladies Who Lunch
Chapter 13: War Zone
Chapter 4: Back to the Beginning
Chapter 14: A Nice Cup of Tea
Chapter 5: Retail Therapy
Chapter 15: Paint by Numbers
Chapter 6: Synchronicity
Chapter 16: Slumber Party
Chapter 7: Remember When
Chapter 8: Think of the Children
Chapter 9: Domestic Disputes
Chapter 10: A Slight Miscalculation
"Sarah, come over here and I'll help you with the zip," Nat said. "That dress looks lovely on you."
Sarah walked over and knelt so that Nat could reach. "Not much call for maternity dresses for matrons-of-honour. I'm just glad I found something we both liked. Of course if I had given birth last week, I would have had an even bigger problem." Not that it was likely. Sarah had cursed Gallifreyan genetics and resigned herself to at least another month of pregnancy. "Thanks. I never could have reached." With a bit of effort, and a hand from Nat, she managed to get up again.
After the explosion the day of the decorating party, things had mostly returned to normal between the two of them. Sarah owed Turlough for that. His complete and utter scorn at Nat's conjecture seemed to have convinced the other woman that she was being irrational, though Sarah wasn't sure things were completely fixed between them.
Nat picked up Lissa and cuddled her. "I keep expecting Liz to suggest inducing labour, though I'm glad she didn't do it before the wedding. Any particular reason she hasn't?"
"Some fear of complications," Sarah said vaguely, wondering how much longer she could fudge that this was a normal pregnancy. In a few weeks, it would be over ten months since she had told people she was pregnant and her maths would come into question. "She thinks it's safer to let the baby come when it's ready."
Nat looked at her thoughtfully, but before she could comment there was a knock at the door of the hotel room.
"If that's Josh, you can go away now." Nat called out.
"Not Josh. I was told I could find Sarah Jane Smith here."
Sarah stilled, then walked over to the door and opened it a crack. "You're alone?"
"Martha's visiting her family."
"That wasn't what I meant, but come in." She opened the door to let the Doctor in, checked the hall, then closed it carefully. "Josh has been trying to sneak in to see Nat but she's absolutely convinced it would be bad luck." She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, then murmured in his ear. "I know we've never been much for public displays, but play along with me and I'll explain later."
"Gotcha." He kissed her again, then pulled away so he could look at her. "You look brilliant. How's the baby doing?" he stroked her stomach, then bent down and said, "Restless are you? Don't you think it's time you gave your mum a break?"
"You're a fine one to talk," Sarah said dryly. "I'm forgetting my manners. Nat, this is the Doctor, Doctor, Nat Redfern. Soon to be Nat Townsend."
"I've heard so much about you," the Doctor said brightly. "I'd offer to shake hands, but you don't seem to have one to spare. Hullo, little one. May I?"
Nat smiled and handed him the baby. "This is Lissa."
"You make that look so easy." Sarah settled in one of the chairs. She'd be on her feet enough later on.
"I have done this before, you know." He jiggled the baby expertly. "You're very cute, but I'm sure Fred will be cuter."
"Oh, are we naming her Fred?" Sarah asked with mock exasperation.
"I've always been fond of the name. Don't you like it?" He widened his eyes and looked at her innocently.
Sarah sighed, then relented, "Okay, either Fredericka or Winifred. Not just Fred. I want her to have the option to change it later if she wants to."
The Doctor made a show of thinking for a minute before saying decisively, "Winifred. And I'll let you choose the middle name," he added, as though he were granting her a huge favour. The baby started to fret, and he handed her back to Nat, then wandered over to slip an arm around Sarah's shoulders. "I should probably go. You've got the wedding and all. This was just me checking up on you."
Sarah started to say something, but Nat beat her to it. "Sarah told us you might come. Please stay. We'd love to get to know you better."
"If you're sure I'm not in the way." He was looking at Nat, but he gathered Sarah's hand in his.
"Of course you won't be in the way." Sarah smiled at him adoringly, more for Nat's benefit than anything else.
There was quick rap on the door, and then Josh's mother entered. "Sarah, we need to go in a minute; Nat, let me take the baby."
"Thanks for the warning. Doctor, it's the church around the corner, why don't you go with Tina and I'll see you there." Sarah gripped his hand before releasing it.
"Sounds like a plan." The Doctor kissed Sarah gently and left with Tina and Lissa.
"He's younger than I expected." Nat's voice was neutral.
Sarah wondered what she was thinking. "He's older than he looks and we've known each other a very long time. Thank you for encouraging him to stay. I think he's a bit wary of intruding on what he thinks is my life." A wistfulness that wasn't entirely fake crept into Sarah's voice. "We've led separate lives for so long now, that I'm not sure if we remember how to be together."
"And the baby needs both of you." Nat said, as though there weren't plenty of babies raised by single mothers. "Maybe we'll have another wedding to celebrate soon."
"Oh, I can't see us getting married," honesty compelled Sarah to reply. "But you're right about the baby needing both of us. I just hope he sees it that way. Holding on to him is like trying to catch the wind. We'd best go so we can get this started promptly." She hoisted herself out of her chair and with a dark look down at her belly, headed to the chapel. "Nervous?"
"Horribly. I suppose after everything we've been through, it seems silly."
"I think it's natural. Not that I'd know first hand. But you're about to marry the man you love, who adores you, so relax." And assuming the Doctor sticks around, I'll be making gooey eyes at him to convince you that I have no interest in Josh.
As she walked down the aisle, Sarah could see that Josh was fidgety, so she gave him a quick smile of reassurance. When she got to the front of the church, she discovered somehow Tina had convinced the Doctor to sit in the front with her and couldn't help feeling relieved. She'd been afraid he would slip off for one reason or another. The wedding march started and she couldn't help thinking that, despite the red trainers, he didn't look out of place and had to suppress a smile at the thought of some of his previous outfits and a momentary worry that trouble would follow them as it always did.
Sarah regained her composure as she watched Nat come down the aisle. It wouldn't do to giggle at the bride. The ceremony was a blur to Sarah, as the baby decided it was time for a workout and chose to use her as a punching bag. Whenever she looked over at the Doctor, he grinned at her supportively.
Once the service was over, Nat and Josh made a beeline for Lissa instead of heading down the aisle immediately, and the Doctor came up and wrapped an arm around her. "Are you okay?"
"Restless baby and I really need a loo." But she smiled at him. "I'll be fine. Meet you outside the church. You're invited to the reception. I know there's a seat for you, because I helped with the seating chart."
He kissed her forehead. "I'll be there." Again he gave her that brilliant grin before he released her to let her walk down the aisle.
Author: hhertzof
Rating: PG
Beta: paranoidangel42
Summary: What happens after Inconceivable
Blame: paranoidangel42 and everyone else who's been encouraging me.
As usual x-posted to my lj.
Chapter 1: Old Friends
Chapter 11: Serendipity
Chapter 2: Girl Talk
Chapter 12: Road Trip
Chapter 3: Ladies Who Lunch
Chapter 13: War Zone
Chapter 4: Back to the Beginning
Chapter 14: A Nice Cup of Tea
Chapter 5: Retail Therapy
Chapter 15: Paint by Numbers
Chapter 6: Synchronicity
Chapter 16: Slumber Party
Chapter 7: Remember When
Chapter 8: Think of the Children
Chapter 9: Domestic Disputes
Chapter 10: A Slight Miscalculation
"Sarah, come over here and I'll help you with the zip," Nat said. "That dress looks lovely on you."
Sarah walked over and knelt so that Nat could reach. "Not much call for maternity dresses for matrons-of-honour. I'm just glad I found something we both liked. Of course if I had given birth last week, I would have had an even bigger problem." Not that it was likely. Sarah had cursed Gallifreyan genetics and resigned herself to at least another month of pregnancy. "Thanks. I never could have reached." With a bit of effort, and a hand from Nat, she managed to get up again.
After the explosion the day of the decorating party, things had mostly returned to normal between the two of them. Sarah owed Turlough for that. His complete and utter scorn at Nat's conjecture seemed to have convinced the other woman that she was being irrational, though Sarah wasn't sure things were completely fixed between them.
Nat picked up Lissa and cuddled her. "I keep expecting Liz to suggest inducing labour, though I'm glad she didn't do it before the wedding. Any particular reason she hasn't?"
"Some fear of complications," Sarah said vaguely, wondering how much longer she could fudge that this was a normal pregnancy. In a few weeks, it would be over ten months since she had told people she was pregnant and her maths would come into question. "She thinks it's safer to let the baby come when it's ready."
Nat looked at her thoughtfully, but before she could comment there was a knock at the door of the hotel room.
"If that's Josh, you can go away now." Nat called out.
"Not Josh. I was told I could find Sarah Jane Smith here."
Sarah stilled, then walked over to the door and opened it a crack. "You're alone?"
"Martha's visiting her family."
"That wasn't what I meant, but come in." She opened the door to let the Doctor in, checked the hall, then closed it carefully. "Josh has been trying to sneak in to see Nat but she's absolutely convinced it would be bad luck." She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, then murmured in his ear. "I know we've never been much for public displays, but play along with me and I'll explain later."
"Gotcha." He kissed her again, then pulled away so he could look at her. "You look brilliant. How's the baby doing?" he stroked her stomach, then bent down and said, "Restless are you? Don't you think it's time you gave your mum a break?"
"You're a fine one to talk," Sarah said dryly. "I'm forgetting my manners. Nat, this is the Doctor, Doctor, Nat Redfern. Soon to be Nat Townsend."
"I've heard so much about you," the Doctor said brightly. "I'd offer to shake hands, but you don't seem to have one to spare. Hullo, little one. May I?"
Nat smiled and handed him the baby. "This is Lissa."
"You make that look so easy." Sarah settled in one of the chairs. She'd be on her feet enough later on.
"I have done this before, you know." He jiggled the baby expertly. "You're very cute, but I'm sure Fred will be cuter."
"Oh, are we naming her Fred?" Sarah asked with mock exasperation.
"I've always been fond of the name. Don't you like it?" He widened his eyes and looked at her innocently.
Sarah sighed, then relented, "Okay, either Fredericka or Winifred. Not just Fred. I want her to have the option to change it later if she wants to."
The Doctor made a show of thinking for a minute before saying decisively, "Winifred. And I'll let you choose the middle name," he added, as though he were granting her a huge favour. The baby started to fret, and he handed her back to Nat, then wandered over to slip an arm around Sarah's shoulders. "I should probably go. You've got the wedding and all. This was just me checking up on you."
Sarah started to say something, but Nat beat her to it. "Sarah told us you might come. Please stay. We'd love to get to know you better."
"If you're sure I'm not in the way." He was looking at Nat, but he gathered Sarah's hand in his.
"Of course you won't be in the way." Sarah smiled at him adoringly, more for Nat's benefit than anything else.
There was quick rap on the door, and then Josh's mother entered. "Sarah, we need to go in a minute; Nat, let me take the baby."
"Thanks for the warning. Doctor, it's the church around the corner, why don't you go with Tina and I'll see you there." Sarah gripped his hand before releasing it.
"Sounds like a plan." The Doctor kissed Sarah gently and left with Tina and Lissa.
"He's younger than I expected." Nat's voice was neutral.
Sarah wondered what she was thinking. "He's older than he looks and we've known each other a very long time. Thank you for encouraging him to stay. I think he's a bit wary of intruding on what he thinks is my life." A wistfulness that wasn't entirely fake crept into Sarah's voice. "We've led separate lives for so long now, that I'm not sure if we remember how to be together."
"And the baby needs both of you." Nat said, as though there weren't plenty of babies raised by single mothers. "Maybe we'll have another wedding to celebrate soon."
"Oh, I can't see us getting married," honesty compelled Sarah to reply. "But you're right about the baby needing both of us. I just hope he sees it that way. Holding on to him is like trying to catch the wind. We'd best go so we can get this started promptly." She hoisted herself out of her chair and with a dark look down at her belly, headed to the chapel. "Nervous?"
"Horribly. I suppose after everything we've been through, it seems silly."
"I think it's natural. Not that I'd know first hand. But you're about to marry the man you love, who adores you, so relax." And assuming the Doctor sticks around, I'll be making gooey eyes at him to convince you that I have no interest in Josh.
As she walked down the aisle, Sarah could see that Josh was fidgety, so she gave him a quick smile of reassurance. When she got to the front of the church, she discovered somehow Tina had convinced the Doctor to sit in the front with her and couldn't help feeling relieved. She'd been afraid he would slip off for one reason or another. The wedding march started and she couldn't help thinking that, despite the red trainers, he didn't look out of place and had to suppress a smile at the thought of some of his previous outfits and a momentary worry that trouble would follow them as it always did.
Sarah regained her composure as she watched Nat come down the aisle. It wouldn't do to giggle at the bride. The ceremony was a blur to Sarah, as the baby decided it was time for a workout and chose to use her as a punching bag. Whenever she looked over at the Doctor, he grinned at her supportively.
Once the service was over, Nat and Josh made a beeline for Lissa instead of heading down the aisle immediately, and the Doctor came up and wrapped an arm around her. "Are you okay?"
"Restless baby and I really need a loo." But she smiled at him. "I'll be fine. Meet you outside the church. You're invited to the reception. I know there's a seat for you, because I helped with the seating chart."
He kissed her forehead. "I'll be there." Again he gave her that brilliant grin before he released her to let her walk down the aisle.