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It had been a blur, a virtual whirlwind of time since their daughter’s birth three weeks prior. They were both bone tired, painfully exhausted. Rose was nursing constantly, sleeping when she could, and the Doctor was right there with her, doing what he could to support his wife and newborn daughter. He’d grabbed sleep whenever possible, but he could do with less. After Rose nursed, he would change Donna and rock her, singing Gallefreyan lullabies.
The Doctor vaguely remembered falling face first into his bed at some point very early Sunday morning. When his bleary eyes opened again around half ten, he realized with a shock that he’d slept soundly for the longest span of time since baby Donna had come home.
Then he winced, because he further realized he’d been asleep on the job. Donna would have needed to nurse at least twice during the time he slept and Rose had let him rest. She was the one who had the tiny human exit her body after all. Rose needed the rest more than he did. He shot up out of bed, apologies already streaming from his lips as he dashed into the kitchen.
“Happy Father’s Day, Daddy,” Rose announced, smiling brightly. Donna was sound asleep on her shoulder.
“I’m so, so….what?”
“It’s Father’s Day, love. The Time Lord lost track of time, I think,” Rose chuckled. “Oh, the irony.”
He glanced dumbly at the calendar on the fridge. Someone had changed it from May to June. He had a vague memory of it being himself, but he wasn’t sure. “Father’s Day? Wait a minute, Rose, you shouldn’t have done all this!” He indicated the full English breakfast laid out on the kitchen table. “You need to rest!”
“Who said I did any of that? Mum came over early and took care of it. I’ve had this planned for a while, love. In fact, I lounged on the sofa like a lady of leisure while Mum did all the work. Well, at least until Miss Donna Jane wanted me to open the breakfast buffet.” She gave him a tongue-touched smile.
“Your mum was very quiet,” the Doctor marveled. He bit back a comment about how her silence was Jackie’s gift to him, but telepathic bonds being what they were, he still received a raised eyebrow from his wife.
Donna started to wriggle on Rose’s shoulder. “I think she wants to wish Daddy happy Father’s Day personally.” She carefully handed over their daughter.
As the Doctor snuggled his daughter into his arms, he kissed Rose gently. “I love you. Thank you so much for this….for her…” He pressed his lips gently on Donna’s soft ginger hair.
Rose indicated the chair, and he sat down with the infant in his arms, inspecting the gift bag. “I thought Donna was my gift.”
“Yes, she is. Took me eight and a half months to get her exactly right, too. But there’s more. It’s not a lot, but I think you’ll enjoy it.”
The Doctor laughed happily as he pulled out a package of jelly babies and a variety of jams and marmalades. “There’s more?” he asked curiously, pulling a picture frame out. “When did you have time to do this?”
“I got it started right before she was born, then Mum had the picture printed. I told you I had a plan.” Rose grinned proudly, so of course the Doctor had to kiss her again. Then he really looked at the gift.
Rose had mounted a photo on cardstock. It was of the Doctor, cradling his minutes-old daughter. He remembered laughing and crying as he held his red-faced daughter, and the picture Jackie had snapped clearly caught the moment. Seeing the photo put him back in that moment, and it brought tears to his eyes again. Rose smiled and caressed his cheek.
There was another item in the frame, a handwritten note from Rose, along with Donna’s tiny footprints in TARDIS blue paint. The Doctor read with a trembling voice, “Daddy, I love you! I can’t wait to learn how to run, so we can run across the stars together. Love, Donna Jane. XXOO.”
He kissed Donna’s head again and she wriggled in his arms. “I can’t wait to run with you, Donna,” he whispered. “You and your Mummy and me.”
“I can’t wait either, love,” Rose murmured, kissing the Doctor’s lips and Donna’s head.
“I’m not sure there’s two ladies more loved in all of the multiverse,” the Doctor smiled.
“I know we are,” Rose agreed. She produced another bag. “And Mum sent this….” The Doctor was amused again, as he pulled out a pair of cream Converse. “She and Dad wanted to replace the ones you lost in the….incident.” She started laughing.
His eyebrow shot up. “I appreciate that, but it wasn’t necessary Pete’s fault. Nobody knew Yuengeringling younglings in this universe react so…..messily.”
“There’s something else in there, too,” she added, finally getting control of her laughter.
The Doctor reached in and pulled out a tiny pair of pink Converse. He grinned broadly. “Your tiny feet need to grow, because these will help with all the running. But don’t grow up too fast,” he told Donna. “I want to hold you like this for as long as I can.” With her eyes shut tight, she pursed her lips and appeared disgruntled, looking not unlike her namesake in the prime universe. He chuckled.
After a delicious breakfast that impressed the Doctor, he settled on the sofa with Donna. She was starting to wake up, nuzzling her father’s chest, her ear against his one heart. He knew he’d only have a few more minutes to cuddle her before she needed to nurse again so he snuggled her closer. “Darling, we are going to have such amazing adventures,” he murmured. “But whether we’re in space, or on earth, being your daddy is the most amazing adventure I can imagine.” He began to sing to her softly.
Rose joined him on the sofa. He slung an arm around his wife’s shoulders, pulling her in closer.
The Doctor savored the peace and quiet with his precious girls, his second and third hearts.