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Rose Tyler, I love you…...having said that, albeit in my head, which, you should be able to hear anyway, but I digress….I love you. I'm so glad you took a girl’s weekend with Donna and Martha. And I'm more than capable of parenting, and not babysitting, because I know how we both feel about that terminology….but, blimey….
“No, Jack,” he ordered aloud. “Stop. Put the sonic down, sit down, and eat that pancake. And I mean now.” He’d started out the weekend so perfectly. He had been diplomatic. He took pride in being able to articulate a reasonable argument that Susannah, Jack and Jamie had been willing to acquiesce to, no matter the fatherly directive he’d given. By Sunday morning he'd devolved into short, choppy, declarative sentences, giving orders like the Brig in a war zone. And everyone missed Mummy.
…..so please, love, don't take this the wrong way when I say that I'm ready for you to come home. It really is so much better with two…..oh, bloody hell, Susannah, the complaint department’s closed!
He was trying to be patient, but the tattle-tailing was getting old, along with the loose-cannon adventures of his curious twin sons.
“ Daaaaad, Jamie told me no! And stuck his tongue out. Annnnnnd he poked me. And he has the….”
“Tell him I said put down whatever he has.”
“And Dad…”
“Yes, Susy?” He said calmly. Susannah wasn't fooled by his tone. She arched an eyebrow, looking rather like Rose. She, too, didn't have time for messing about.
“Stella woked up.”
Susannah’s declaration was punctuated by a hungry baby screech from upstairs.
Ah. Haven't warmed the bottle yet. That's what I forgot to do.
Jack still hadn't put down the sonic.
“Jack Michael, now. Sonic down. James Alistair, bum in chair. Now. Susannah, entertain your sister.”
“On it!” Susannah called. At least someone was with with the program. The Weasley Twins, however, were going to take some persuasion. That persuasion involved the Doctor relieving Jack of the sonic, putting it in the cabinet above the sink. He then picked each twin up, one under each arm, deposited them in their booster seats and buckled the seat belts. Stella screamed from upstairs again. He heard Susannah call down the stairs.
“She's not happy, Daddy,” Susannah unnecessarily explained.
Satisfied that the boys were under control, the Doctor took off at a run, bursting into his and Rose’s room. Stella was red-faced, and Susannah stood beside the bassinet, trying to entertain her. She'd tried. “Thank you for your help, lovie. You're a wonderful sister.”
Susannah beamed. The Doctor scooped up Stella, resting her on his shoulder (her favorite place in the world, other than Mummy’s chest). He and his daughters proceeded downstairs, to find Jack and Jamie had broken out of their seats and were seated on the table, sharing a plate of pancakes upon which they'd dumped half the syrup and most of the powdered sugar.
“How…?” the Doctor. They’d only been gone a couple of minutes. He sighed, shaking his head. He had to admire the boys’ ingenuity. They were part Time Lord after all. As impressive as that was, he still had to clean the boys up, before their stickiness spread everywhere. Stella was inconsolable. He thought of setting Susannah up on the couch with the nursing pillow and her bottle but that didn't seem fair to his five year old. Quickly scanning the room for a solution, he calculated the possibilities and outcomes in a split second. Rather like defeating Daleks, he mused as his eyes fell upon the answer to his predicament. Bouncing Stella, he put a bottle in the warmer. The nursing pillow was on the sofa, and he set it on the counter by the sink. The twins were midway through their pancakes so they were blessedly still for the moment.
“Grab the bottle, Susy. Careful, it'll be warm.” Susannah grinned and saluted, causing the Doctor to chuckle.
He lay Stella on the pillow, which did not please her at all, until Susannah handed off the bottle and the Doctor tested the temperature. “Perfect,” he declared. “Now, Susannah, please hand me the bananas. Susannah banana,” he snickered at his rhyme, not for the first time. Susannah giggled. He was glad Susy still thought it was funny, because it wouldn't be long before the embarrassed eye rolling started. “The whole bunch.”
“Really?”
“Yep,” he popped the “p”.
*******
Rose had really needed the weekend with Donna and Martha, but she was glad to see their little cottage on the Tyler Estate. She missed the Doctor and the kids and the chaos. She'd caught a few stray thoughts from the Doctor as she'd made her way home, and she was a bit nervous to see what state the house was in. He was a brilliant dad, but she couldn't help but wonder what kind of mess would greet her.
“Hello!” she called, setting her overnight bag down by the door.
“Mummy!” Susannah called, running from the kitchen. “Hi! Come see what Daddy did!”
Rose didn't know what expect, and the scene that played out before her was definitely unexpected.
The Doctor was at the sink with Jack and Jamie, wiping down the remnants of the pancake mess. “Hello, love,” he said, smiling. The boys drowned him out with their calls of “Mummy!”
It was Stella’s current situation surprising her, however.
Stella lay on the nursing pillow, eating contentedly. Most of a bunch of bananas rested across her middle, keeping her secure. Another banana propped her bottle up.
“Daddy’s got it all sorted out!” Susanna chirped happily, giggling. Stella grinned at her mummy.
“I can see that,” Rose answered. “Everything’s under control, then?” She grinned at the Doctor and picked up Stella, cradling her close and offering her the bottle again.
“It is now,” he replied, proudly, high-fiving Susannah. “Bananas are good, Rose Tyler.”