A/N: This is my first Doctor Who fic. It just wouldn't leave me alone, so I wrote it. First I want to say I am American, so I apologize if my dialogue is off. I was afraid of butchering it, so I probably made it more American that it should be. Moreover, I know it is soooo cheesy, but like I said it wouldn't leave me alone. Lastly, it may be out of character for the Doctor, like I said I haven't been working with him long, so there may be a few kinks.
I own nothing.
Rose bit her lip and lifted her magazine a little higher to hide her face. Sitting in a waiting room at the doctor's office with the Doctor had to be one of the most embarrassing things she had ever done. Bringing the Doctor with her was worse than bringing her little brother. He would start out reading disgusting articles from medical journals aloud. When he would get bored with that, he would wonder around the room touching things, smelling them, and on occasion God help her, licking them. Currently, he was at that stage and while Rose sat in her chair pretending she didn't come in with him, she prayed he didn't discover the anatomic model in the corner. That was the worst. He would pull out each individual plastic bone or organ and thoroughly inspect it before he would realize he would never be able to get them back into the body correctly. Then he would drop three or four parts attempting to shove them back in, inevitably drawing the attention of everyone in the room. She looked up just in time to see him eyeing the model. No. Not this time.
"Doctor!" she scolded at a whisper as his hand reached for the ribcage. His head snapped up. "Sit down!" His shoulders slumped and a pout consumed his features as he sulked back to the vacant chair next to her. He let out a little bit of a whine as he plopped down into the chair. Rose bit back a laugh and returned to her magazine.
"I just wanted to look at it," he defended himself.
"I know, love and that would be fine if you looked with your eyes, not your hands," she pointed out, dismissively. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He was nine hundred years old, he should be able to do what he pleased. Rose reached out her left hand to grasp the back his neck, her fingers gently threading through his hair. She knew the intimate gesture would calm his agitation. "It's only going to be a few more minutes, I promise." He reached back to grab her hand and lifted it over his head and into his lap. He busied himself by running his thumb over her wedding and engagement rings. He stretched out his left hand next to hers, looking at his own ring. Nothing more than a simple gold band, but little had ever meant more to him in all his nine hundred years. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her skin before intertwining their fingers and returning their hands to his lap. She put down her magazine and looked at him. She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. "Are you nervous?" she wondered.
"I'm a Time Lord…well…partly. I don't get nervous," he scoffed.
"Excited, then?" she tried again, her tone edging on exasperation. His dark eyes lit up.
"Oh yes, very excited. Well, I think. I don't know, what's going to happen in there?" he rambled.
"We're going to see our baby," she replied. His eyes flicked from her face to her swollen abdomen. His hand gravitated towards the bump. Even after five months and everything he had seen in the universe he was still amazed his wife, his human wife, was carrying a life they created.
"See it how?" he had a vague idea of how an ultrasound worked, but it had been awhile since he had seen it done in the twenty first century. Rose covered his hand with her own.
"Well, I don't know specifics really, but they use this wand thingy and it brings up a picture of our baby on the screen," she shrugged, knowing that was the dumbest explanation ever, but it was the best she had. He nodded.
"And it's safe?" he checked.
"Of course it is! You are a time traveler and you call yourself The Doctor and you don't know if an ultrasound, which by the way they use all the time, is safe!?" she gasped. If the show the Doctor put on earlier had gotten all of the other people in the rooming eyeing them funny, Rose took care of that. They were all looking at them now. She felt her cheeks flush as she buried her face against her husband's shoulder. The Doctor made a face at the other patrons and gave them a wave telling them to get back to minding their own business. He pressed a kiss to Rose's forehead and gently smoothed a hand down her blonde hair.
"I am also an alien, Rose. Remember, two hearts, regeneration, nine hundred years old and I am not well versed in twentieth century medicine, the last hospital I was in was run by cats. You were there remember?" he whispered.
"You were an alien. You are mostly human now," she reminded.
"And still getting used to it, all the more reason for me to say this human pregnancy thing is just as much of a new adventure for me as it is for you," he retorted. Rose's eyes sparkled as her a bright wide smile shone across her face.
"Adventure," she repeated. He had never put it quite that way before.
"Yes, Rose and the Doctor on a new adventure," he agreed, liking that terminology himself.
"As it should be," she grinned.
"Rose Tyler!" the receptionist's voice on the overhead speaker broke through their conversation.
"Oh! It's our turn!" the Doctor exclaimed, hopping out of his chair and starting towards the door. "Come on, Rose," he called after he noticed she was not behind him.
"Would be faster if ya helped me up," she muttered. The Doctor sauntered back to his wide and helped her out of the chair.
"Ok, let's go," he urged, grabbing her hand and tugging her along. Rose rolled her eyes as she followed him back to the exam room.
"Hello you must be Rose, my name is Linda and I will be the technician performing your ultrasound today," a woman greeted them when they arrived. "You must be Dad," she turned her attention to the Doctor.
"Dad? Who's Dad?" he was confused, his eyes jetting between Rose and Linda.
"The baby's dad," Rose explained.
"Oh, yes! That's me. Dear old Dad, Father, Pop," he replied, popping the last "P". Rose rolled her eyes yet again.
"Alright then, Rose you are on the table and Dad, the stool is for you," Linda instructed.
The Doctor sat on a stool holding Rose's hand watching curiously as Linda prepared for the ultrasound. He suspiciously eyed the tube of gel she was holding. He wasn't one hundred percent certain it wouldn't harm his wife and unborn child. He would feel better if he could smell it, maybe even taste it. He frowned as Linda pulled a generous amount on Rose's stomach. When she flinched, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and searched her face for signs that she was ok.
Rose looked at her husband and she felt his grip tighten. Concern was etched into his features.
"It's just cold," she said with a reassuring smile. He nodded and returned to watching Linda as she moved the wand through the gel to locate the baby. This was only the second appointment he had attended throughout her pregnancy. He was at the initial appointment, but quickly grew irritated with the mundane questions and the long list of do's and don't's. Additionally, anything pertaining to Rose's health and well being made him very anxious. He became rather agitated with her OBGYN. They decided from then on that he would only go to the really important appointments. This was one of those appointments. Rose had seen their baby approximately twelve weeks ago when it was just a peanut, but the Doctor had yet to even hear the heartbeat. She was excited for him, now if he would just relax enough to enjoy it.
He pulled his glasses out of his pocket and perched them on his face as the image came up on the screen. Linda pointed out the landmark pieces of the baby's anatomy.
"That's brilliant!" the Doctor beamed. "That's a baby."
"Were you guys interested in knowing gender?" Linda wondered. Rose and the Doctor exchanged a look.
"Of course!" the Doctor answered for both of them. Linda nodded and moved the wand again.
"Well then, in four months time you two will be the proud parents of a little girl," she informed them.
Rose smiled wildly, tears pricking the back of her eyes. She could just picture it. A little girl with wild hair, curious eyes, and freckles.
"Our daughter…" she managed.
"Oh Rose…" the Doctor breathed, standing from the stool and kissing her. He slowly pulled away, his brow furrowing. He focused on the swishing sound resonating through the room. "Wait, what's that noise?" he wondered.
"That's your daughter's heartbeat," Linda provided. The Doctor spun on his heels and scrambled around the room, opening drawers and cabinets, obviously looking for something.
"What are you…" the question died on Rose's lips as he snatched the stethoscope from around Linda's neck. Linda gaped at him. "Sorry, he's a bit excited," Rose covered, blushing furiously. "Doctor!" she scolded, her jaw clinched. He waved her off and held the device to her chest, locating her heart. He listened to its familiar beat for a few moments before removing the ear pieces and listening to the baby's heartbeat again. While the sound was somewhat foreign, the concept was familiar.
"Two heart beats," he mused.
"Yes, well, mine and the baby's," Rose replied having an idea where his thoughts were headed.
"But you have two heart beats," he repeated, not really caring about the logistics of the situation. His hand went to his chest as if he was searching for the heart he didn't receive during the metacrisis.
"I want two," he responded with a sigh of longing.
"Well, next time you can be the pregnant one," Rose deadpanned, wiping the gel off her stomach and pulling her shirt down. A puzzled look crossed the Doctor's face.
"I can…wait…human males can't…" he looked over at Linda. "Right? Men can't…" Linda just stared at him obviously trying to figure out what kind of man wouldn't know that men could not carry children.
"I was teasing," Rose explained, reaching for his hand to help her off the table. "Now give Linda her stethoscope, it's time to go," she instructed. Linda traded the Doctor her stethoscope for a handful of sonogram pictures and the couple took their leave.
Rose watched the Doctor as he drove. He had been quiet since they left the doctor's office. She wasn't sure if he was overwhelmed by the realization that came with seeing and hearing your baby for the first time, or if it was more about the two hearts conversation. She would have to ask him when they got home. Now they were off to her parent's house so she could sign a few papers for Pete regarding her maternity leave.
"I'm just going to wait out here," his voice broke through the silence as they pulled up in front of Pete and Jackie's estate. Despite not going into himself, he still got out of the car to assist Rose.
"I'll just be a minute," she promised, giving him a quick kiss.
"No hurry," he insisted.
Jackie along with Tony met her daughter at the door. She noticed the Doctor leaning against the car, his arms crossed over his chest.
"What's wrong with him?" she wondered, hiking her little boy up on her hip. Rose looked back at her husband.
"He's pouting," she sighed.
"Because you wouldn't let him play with the model in the waiting room?" Jackie assumed.
"Something like that," Rose shrugged. "Hi monster," she smiled, tickling her little brother, causing him to squirm and giggle in his mother's arms.
"How was the appointment, everything in order?" Jackie asked.
"Yes, perfect. I have a new picture of your granddaughter for you," Rose mentioned, extending a sonogram picture in her mother's direction. Tony grabbed at it and held it close to his face, not quite able to decipher it.
"Granddaughter? It's a girl!?" Jackie exclaimed, taking the picture. "Tony, that's your niece," she mentioned to the little boy. "Rose's baby."
"Rosie, the baby in your belly is a girl?" Tony pieced together.
"Yep," Rose replied, dismissively.
"Most people are more excited than that," Jackie observed.
"Yeah and most people's husband's get excited when they hear their daughter's heartbeat. Mine got jealous," Rose snapped.
"Jealous, why?" Jackie found that to be absurd.
"I have two heart beats," Rose replied as if that explained everything. Jackie had really no idea what that was supposed to mean.
"I swear that man is a nutter," she muttered. Rose glared at her. Jackie just gave her a look and continued talking. "You're father's in his study, been asking about you all day." Rose leaned in to kiss her brother's chubby cheek and disappeared into the house.
"Hello sweetheart," Pete greeted her as she entered his study. Rose afforded him a small smile. "Where's the Doctor?"
"He's waiting in the car. It's been a big morning, he's anxious to get home," she covered smoothly, not really wanting to get into the specifics.
"Is the baby ok?" he checked, noticing something was off.
"Yeah, she's fine," she replied in a wistful tone, enjoying calling her child "she" for the first time, despite her current mood.
"She," her dad grinned. Rose nodded in confirmation.
"Mom's got a new sonogram picture," she informed.
"Good, well I won't keep you, I just have a few forms for you to sign," Pete continued, gesturing towards the three papers on his desk. Rose picked up the pen and quickly scribbled her name on the three pages.
"That it?" she wondered.
"Yes…" he stopped and gave her a good once over. Something still didn't seem right. "Are you alright, Rose?"
"Yes, of course. Like I said, it's been a big morning. I'm just tired," she replied honestly and knowing she had to sort out whatever was wrong with the Doctor made her even more tired.
"Then get home and get some rest. We'll have you around for tea later this week," Pete urged. Rose gave him a quick hug and went to say the rest of her goodbyes.
By the time Rose and the Doctor arrived at their small house, the awkward silence had about put Rose over the edge. She wanted to grab her husband by the shoulders and shake him, just to see if he'd make noise. He was rarely this quiet and when it he was it was never a good thing.
"Is something wrong?" she asked finally, rubbing her belly. She noticed her hand gravitated to the bump when she was anxious. It seemed to calm her. He shook his head.
"No, nothing wrong," he replied with just a hint of his normally vibrant smile. Rose fought the urge to groan out loud. Something was obviously bothering him and he was not telling her what it was.
"Alright then, I'm going to go lay down for a bit," she decided. He just nodded. She shook her head and turned towards their bedroom. She didn't have the energy to pull it out of him. Not right now anyway.
The Doctor knew he had upset Rose. He wished he could explain to her what he was thinking, but he wasn't yet sure himself. He wasn't trying to shut her out, he was just not ready to talk about it. He was not mad at her in any way. Hearing two heart beats just took him by surprise. He was never expecting to hear that sound again. That combined with the overwhelming moment of seeing and hearing his daughter for the first time pushed him into sensory overload. He just needed a little space to recollect himself. By the time she was finished with her nap he would be right as rain.
Rose padded through the house in search of her husband. Her nap had been good, but would have been better if she knew what as bothering him and better still if he would have laid down with her like he usually did. She found him in the nursery piecing together furniture. His glasses slid down his nose as his face contorted in concentration.
"This would be one of those times it would be handy to have a wood setting on your sonic," she chuckled softly, her voice cracking from sleep. When he looked up at her, a smile blossomed on his face. She looked stunning, standing in the doorway with her hair mussed, barefoot and pregnant. The sight nearly took his breath away. "I am sorry, ya know…" she started. He sent her a confused looked. "The whole two heart beats thing, I didn't…"she trailed off knowing she could very well start bawling if she continued. The Doctor quickly rose to his feet and walked to the door.
"Come here, love," he urged opening his arms to her. She buried her face against his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around his thin body. "Is that what you thought? That I was mad at you?" he asked gently. Rose nodded against him. "No, no, no, never," He gently pushed her back so he could see her face. "I was not mad at you for one second. It just took me by surprise hearing two hearts at the same time and both coming from your body. Took me a while to process what was going on and to sort through the nostalgia that came with it," he explained, subconsciously pressing a hand to his chest like he had done earlier.
"You did that earlier too, like you're looking for your heart," Rose pointed out. The Doctor smiled.
"Well, I had that heart for over nine hundred years, one silly metacrisis and it's gone. Miss it sometimes, I suppose," he replied. A mix of concern, anxiety and guilt rolled through Rose's features.
"Do you miss it all sometimes? The traveling, saving the world, being a Time Lord?" she wondered. The were days she still feared he would take off claiming this normal life thing was far too dull and boring.
"Of course I do, don't you? Well, minus the Time Lord part for you," he turned the question on her.
"Yeah, guess so," she realized. The Doctor shifted, moving his hands down to clasp at the small of her back, her belly forcing them apart.
"I'll tell you what though…" he began, she looked up at him curiously. "I would give it all up again to be here with you. Like this," his hand slid around to her stomach. "You my wife, carrying our child." She beamed up at him, tears glistening in her dark eyes. "Our daughter," he corrected himself.
"You only have one heart but in exchange you get to have the one adventure you thought you'd never have," Rose had the statement memorized after hearing the Doctor say it numerous times since they were left at Bad Wolf Bay.
"Exactly, except for the fact that I still have two hearts," he quipped. Rose's face gave way to confusion.
"No you don't," she objected knowing full well he only had one heart. He was human. Just incase, she brought her hands to his chest, pressing them against the soft fabric of his t-shirt. Just as she assumed there was one steady familiar heart beat resonating against her palms. The Doctor chuckled.
"I only have one in my chest, but I most definitely have two hearts," he insisted, shooting her that adorable impish grin of his.
"That doesn't make any sense," Rose huffed. He took one of her hands and kissed her palm before pressing it over her own heart.
"You, Rose Tyler, gave me your heart a long time ago, before I ever deserved it and I can tell you I have never been so grateful in all of my nine hundred years," he explained. Rose stared at him for a moment before fisting his shirt and pulling him down for a kiss, too overwhelmed by his statement to form words.
"I love you," she panted as she broke away moments later.
"I love you too," he replied, his hands coming to gently cup her face as he gave her another chaste kiss.
"We love you too, little girl," Rose giggled as she felt the baby move. The Doctor dropped to his knees, pressing his hand and his cheeks to her stomach.
"Very much so, and we can't wait to meet you. You will make us the Tyler trio," he spoke to his unborn child. Then shook his head disapprovingly. "Not Trio, that sounds too much like a singing group. We need something more regal," he continued, eliciting yet another giggle from his wife. "I know, the Trinity of Tylers, now that sounds important," he decided, his tone full of pride. "Trinity of Tylers," her repeated just to make sure he was still sold on it. "Trinity…Tyler…"he muttered. His eyes shot up to meet Rose's. "Trinity Tyler!" he gasped.
"I like that, a lot," Rose agreed, loving how he discovered the name for their daughter in the middle of one of his rambles. She relied she should have never expected anything less. That was so typical of him.
"Are you Trinity Tyler?" he spoke to her stomach again. "I think so. I think that's exactly who you are." He left a kiss right under Rose's belly button before standing up and kissing his wife once more.
4 months later…
The world had welcomed Miss Trinity Arabella Tyler only moments earlier and Doctor was in awe. He looked down at the infant in his arms as she curled into the warmth of his chest. He was a Dad, not for the first time, but the first time in this universe, as a human and most importantly the first time with Rose. He ran a finger against his daughter's cheek, his heart swelling as she turned into his touch. In that moment, he knew there in his arms was his heart, yet another heart the universe had afforded him in exchange for the one he'd lost. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He could hear the monitor in the corner recording the easy beat of his wife's heart and felt his own fiercely pounding in his chest. He opened his eyes and looked at Rose.
Rose watched her husband as he held their daughter for the first time. She could see his brilliant mind taking in every little detail of the moment. Suddenly, he was looking at her, his eyes full of tears .
"Are you alright?" she asked and he smiled brighter than she had ever seen. Brighter than she ever thought possible.
"I'm brilliant. I…I just have never had this many hearts before."