⇾ 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Say Cheese!

May 27, 1964

Donna's POV

When I woke up the first time, it was nearly one in the afternoon. John was still asleep beside me, and I was mad that I'd woken up at all.

I didn't move from where I was laying. Instead, I pulled the blankets around me closer and nuzzled closer to John, careful not to wake him.

I counted to myself in my head, practically begging to fall back asleep.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...

~~~

The second time I woke up, John was no longer next to me. I sat up and looked at the clock that read 2:30PM. Knowing that if I didn't get up now, I'd never sleep through the night, I climbed out of the bed, wrapping a fleece blanket around my shoulders before retreating downstairs to find John.

He was rummaging around in the kitchen when I made it down there. He heard me enter the room and looked up.

"All this food is going bad," he said.

"Yeah? Maybe I'll have to go to the store," I answered, sitting down on a stool in front of the counter.

"Not today," he said immediately.

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "I just thought we could lay around all day."

I nodded. "That sounds like a nice plan. But what are we going to eat?"

"We'll go get something," he said.

"Well, I've got no objections."

"I figured ye wouldn't," he answered with a smile, coming to lean against the counter. "Did ye sleep well?"

"Like a baby," I replied teasingly.

"Very good," he said. "Happy to be home?"

"Of course I am. It feels like it's been ages."

"Doesn't it?" He laughed. "How about we get dressed and go get some..." He looked at his watch. "Lunch?"

I smiled. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

He ran around the counter and took me off the chair and carried me towards the stairs. "Let's go!" he chanted as I roped my arms around his neck and laughed.

He carried me upstairs and then dropped me onto the bed and turned to find something to wear, resurfacing with a t-shirt and some jeans.

"How's this?" he asked. "You think that if I'm not in a suit then the fans won't recognize me?"

"Well," I responded, sitting on my knees and looking at him. "It's never stopped them before, has it?"

He pondered on my words for a moment. "No, it hasn't. You're right." Then, he shrugged. "It's okay. I'll never escape it. Time to come to terms with the fact that they just love me!"

I laughed. "Right."

"C'mon, Donna! Get all dressed up so we can go get our food!" He pranced off towards our bathroom without another word.

I pulled myself up off the bed, dropping the blanket I'd had behind me, immediately shivering against the cold. I scrambled over to the dresser and slipped out of my nightgown and into the first thing that I could find, which turned out to be a yellow sundress.

When I turned to go towards the bathroom, I caught John, already changed, staring at me, turning me into a blushing mess.

"So pretty, she is!" he quipped as I slipped by him to brush my hair. In the mirror, I saw him turn around so that he was facing me this way. "I think I can sense what you're about to say," he said when I opened my mouth to talk.