Its been a long time friends, and for that I am truly sorry. I had some health issues that took my focus but they are resolved now. Its quite different being on the patient end of the healthcare spectrum. I can truly say now, being given a second chance changes your point of view in many ways. Most of all telling people how much you truly love them and how much you appreciate them and their kindness...I love you guys and I appreciate your kindness. Now back to our story... -L

"Do you like it?", I ask wiping the paint from my hands onto a red rag smiling broadly. It took me two hours, but I am damn proud of myself.

Sarah Jane screws up her nose. "Its mustard yellow."she says tucking her hands into her overalls.

I arch my brow and wipe the back of my forehead with the sleeve of my shirt. "Its buttercup." I say indignantly.

Sarah rolls her eyes and lets out a huff of air, blowing a chocolate colored curl off her cheek. "It looks dumb." she mumbles as she throws her rag on the plastic sheeting, and sits cross-legged on the floor. "Stupid color anyhow. Looks like barf."

"What?!" I turn around, my hands on my hips tilting my head to the side examining first the end of my brush, then the wall, then the end of my brush again. "I does not. I see no resemblance to vomit in any way. Weeeel unless you count bile" Usually Sarah laughs when I go on one of my verbal tangents, but this time I am met with only silence. I put the brush down in the paint tray and sit next SJ on the floor.

This elicits another sigh from SJ. "Whatever." She says as she brings her knees to her chest hugging them tightly. She rests her chin on them, drawing her lower lip in between her teeth.

I turn to face her, she is picking at the polish on her nails like her mum does and its not until then that I realize just how daft I have been. After all of these years in my human regeneration I can still be quite clueless when it comes to human emotion. I should have noticed it sooner, "Okay poppet. Spill."

She looks up at me and my heart squeezes at the sight of her almond brown eyes glistening with tears.

Sarah sniffs, "Why daddy?"

"Why what?"I say my brow furrowing, I take my arm and wrap it around her shoulder, only to have her shrug away from me. Whatever it is that's bothering her its of a monumental importance in her six year old world. "Sarah seriously. What is wrong with you?"

"Everything is all about the baby." SJ says her lip quivering.

It dawns on me the cause of her distress and it hits me hard in the stomach."Oh, poppet." I say tucking a curl behind her ear, and dotting her nose. "I am so sorry. I truly am." . I guess we have been a bit preoccupied as of late.

"Everyone ignores me. You. Mum. Grandpa Pete. Nana Jackie. Its all ooooh how cute is Cadan. How tiny is Cadan. How sweet is Cadan.", SJ rises throwing her hands in the air, "Now there's another baby coming, and you all keep saying how special she is. How she needs extra attention. Well what about me dad?" tears stream down her cheeks as she kicks a teddy bear across the room, then screams in frustration. "Aren't I special too?"

"SJ. Sweetheart, you are very very special to me." I say rising to my knees, I catch her hand as she paces in front of me. "Sarah, you are our first child. A gift we could have imagined to receive. You are indeed special, to both mum and I. Cadan also, and when we finally get to bring Martha home... "

"I hate her." Sarah says pouting.

"Hate is a very strong word Sarah." I say pulling her into a hug. You haven't even met her yet, how do you know you are going to dislike her." I say giving more emphasis to the latter word.

Sarah pulls from my grasp, and sits on the toy chest in the corner. "You smile really big every time you and mum talk about her."

"That's because we are happy she will be a part of our family." I say kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in my own, "I cant think of anything else in this whole world that is better than having someone love them, can you?" I give her hands a squeeze, "Sarah, the first time I saw you I knew I would love you forever. I could never leave you, never hurt you. I would always protect you, but Martha wasn't as lucky"

"What do you mean daddy?" Sarah asks wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve, a mannerism she adopted from her mother. I shrug my shoulders and sit next to her leaning my back against the wall."I mean that when Martha was born, she didn't have anyone to love her. She didn't know her daddy. Her mummy left her in the hospital."

"Her mummy didn't want her?" Sarah says softly. Her eyebrows shoot up into her bangs as she leans into my shoulder. I kiss the crown of her head and give her a tight squeeze.

"Yeah poppet, her mummy didn't want her.", I say into her hair, " Sarah, Martha was very very sick, like Cadan was. Every day I was up there with mum, while we were visiting Cadan, we would hope and pray that Martha s mummy would come and see her, but she never came. It made me very sad." I feel her nod beneath my chin as she lets out a long sigh. "She was so lonely." I said swallowing the lump that has formed in my throat.

"Well that s some yellow." I hear Rose say from the doorway, Cadan on her hip. He has a fistful of her necklace, trying as hard as he can to shove the opal pendant into his mouth. He flashes me one toothed grin and I cant help but smile back in return. She steps into the nursery giving it a once over, " I thought we were going with a softer lemon yellow, this is certainly...um...eye catching."

"Its buttercup." I say furrowing my brow.

"Its butter something." Rose says flashing me a cheeky grin.

Sarah sighs and runs to her mum wrapping her arms around her burying her nose in Roses waist. Rose arches a brow at me and I give her a sad smile. She hands Cadan to me before kneeling in front of SJ "Hey Sarah I missed you too baby I'm glad to come home to such a warm welcome." She smiles warm and bright before pulling her into her embrace.

What is the deal? Rose mouths pointing to SJ.

Martha. I mouth. Cadan smacks me on my cheek with a chubby fist then giggles. I roll my eyes.

Roses eyes widen. Oh.

"I'm sorry." Sarah says as a muffled sob escapes her lips, "I am."

Rose pulls back from Sarah s embrace, brushing her cheeks with the palm of her hand. "What for."

"For hating Martha." Sarah says giving her mum another hug. I frown. She turns around giving me an apologetic shrug of her shoulders, "I mean disliking Martha...Sorry Dad"

"Sokay." I say running my hand over her mess of curls. "Its going to take time for you to adjust."

Rose takes Sarah by the hand and leads her to the rocker pulling her into her lap. "Sarah, I know that is very new for you. Its new for all of us." She places a kiss on the top of SJ s head and begins to rock her slowly, "Sarah, you know how the TARDIS is bigger on the inside?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Well that is like your daddy s heart." Rose gives me a small smile before laying her head against our daughters, I give her a puzzled expression but wait for her to continue. "Your daddy s heart has so much room on the inside he couldn't possibly fill it enough to not have room for you also. It made him sad to see Martha every day all alone. Martha didn't have anyone to love her. It wasn't fair. No bedtime stories, no trips to the park, no grandpa and Nana. Could you imagine? "

Sarah sighs deeply, "No."

"Martha is going to need your help Sarah." Rose says hooking her finger under SJ s chin, tilting her until they are meeting eye to eye, "Martha is going to need you to teach her things, stuff only a big sister such as yourself can help her with. We are going to have to learn a new way to communicate, in order to be able to speak with Martha. She won't be able to use her words the way we can, she will have to use her hands to tell us what she will need. We are going to have to learn sign language."

"Couldn't she just ask us for things in her mind?" Sarah says giving me a puzzled expression.

Rose gives me a look, "Well sweetie that may work for you and your dad, but I cant quite do that can I? Neither can Grandpa and Nana."

"Cadan can." Sarah says nonchalantly.

Cadan pulls at the collar of my shirt, growling. Sorry. I mouth as Rose gives me a sad look.

"Well, I still think it would be good for us to learn." Rose says helping Sarah off her lap. She takes Cadan from my arms, then gives me a kiss on the lips. I wrap my arm around her as she leans into my chest, pulling Sarah closer between the two of us, " Maybe we could take a trip somewhere before Martha comes home?" Rose says softly, threading her fingers through Sarahs hair. " Just the three of us."

"I think that is a brilliant idea." I say smiling. "Brilliant indeed."