Arcadia's Love (Book TWO)

Date Night

Phina:

Back at Janie's old place, where Sky was currently doing her homework in another room, and Luke was making their tea. God, why did I feel so nervous? Seriously, why? Because I was already married to the guy, and I'd had a kid with him. Granted, said kid was currently in prison, but oh well.

But I was going on a traditional date with him tonight, like you would when you first meet each other, and that was terrifying me because when we got together initially we had just clicked and bang, we were boyfriend and girlfriend, moving on to our first baby attempt and then a break by accident and just... We never had a period of having to get to know each other, not like we're trying to do.

20 years of me living without him, and he wants to know about what I did. All I did for 20 years, was kill things. And I had to talk about that. "Auntie Phi?" Sky asked, coming into the room where I was wrapped in a towel and trying to shave my legs. I hadn't ever kept anything from her, so I didn't mind. "Auntie Phi, can I talk to you for a moment?"

I stopped, smiling at her. "Of course, Lovely. What's wrong?"

"I, um, I've... I've started my period and I don't know what to do..." She breathed, sitting next to me on the bed, looking pretty uncomfortable. "Luke's clueless about all things girl, and I don't want to talk to Mr Smith because he'd insensitive, K9 is with Clyde. Rani's still with Marcus and she's not going to be back until Monday."

Oh, wow... I hadn't done this in such a long time. "Hey, it's fine, Sky High. Come on, I think I have some tampons left, and I definitely have a few pads." I smiled at her, and pulled my cardigan on, heading to the bathroom with her. "It's honestly fine, I did this with Starfall when she was your age, and Amy. Hell, I'm 964 and I still get periods, not that I can even have kids." Then I looked up at her. "You do understand periods, right? What they're for, what they do?"

"Mum explained them before she died, it means your body is ready to have a baby. And school said the blood every 28 days flushes out the egg because it's no longer... what's the word... Viable? As it's too old. Is that right?"

"Perfect explanation, my lovely. And I am actually all out of both, which means Rani has raided my stash. Are you alright to wait here while I run to the shop for you?" She nodded as I ran back into my room, throwing on trackie bottoms and a faded old top of Rory's before shoving my feet into uggs, my hair scruffily up in a bun.

I ran to the nearest Asda, grabbing her a box of teenager tampons, and then some pads, in case the tampons weren't right, and came home, not looking and walking into the Doctor as he was coming out of the TARDIS. "Hey, uh, I am guessing you aren't ready..." He laughed, seeing me in my slouchy clothes, an Asda bag in my hand as I gaped at him. "Want me to pop ten minutes into the future, or..."

"No, uh, no, it's fine..." I gabbled, wrapping my coat around myself and headed for the door, fairly sure that my cheeks were scarlet by this point. "You can wait in the living room, I just, um... I needed to get something for Sky from the shops..."

That made him grin wider. "I can see that, you're holding a carrier bag. Go get ready, it's fine, Princess."

Blushing still, I opened the door and ran up the stairs, letting Luke materialise from the kitchen and entertain him while I sound Sky in her bedroom, reading a book, but obviously reaching that uncomfortable part of your period where you genuinely were too uncomfortable in every position so you had to keep moving. I watched her, in the space of a minute, go from lying on her back, to her front, to curling into a ball, and then hanging upside down on her bed, where she saw me.

"Auntie Phi, this hurts! They never said how it made you feel and I really don't like it." She complained, getting to her feet and rubbing the afflicted area. "I have to have this ever month until I'm old!"