Keeping up appearances
"Mum, slow down!" Rose Tyler said worriedly into the phone.
"Mum, it's okay, tell me what's wrong. " Rose gasped and let out a sob. "No! NO! How? That's terrible. Oh my god. No!"
The Doctor looked up to see his young female assistant 'companion, she prefers companion', crying down the phone. She hung up shakily and sank down on the floor.
"Rose?" apparent concern flooded the Time Lord's face. Rose looked up and felt a wash of comfort as she saw the worried puppy-dog look in the Doctor's brown eyes.
"My…um…" She sobbed again, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"My uncle has just died. He was like a dad to me. 'e were always there when I needed 'im. He is…. was me mum's brother. I need to go back for the funeral. Mum needs me."
"I understand Rose." A look of sympathy was in his eyes that Rose knew was only surface deep. She was touched all the same; he was trying, after all.
"Would you, please, well, come with me?" She asked hopefully.
"To the FUNERAL!" The Doctor spat. He looked into Rose's eyes and saw a deep pain. The pain of loss.
"Okay." He sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be a pleasurable experience.
The friends and family of Robbie Prentice stood around the graveside. Everyone there recognised each other. There was Jackie; weeping her eyes out next to her was Rose. Then there was Robbie's girlfriend Cheryl. Besides her were aunt Doris and aunt Anna. Next to them were Robbie's mother and Robbie's uncle, Bill. Next to them were various friends and acquaintances of Robbie including his boss, Mr Townsend, Rose's friend Shareen and her family, and various aunts and cousins. They all formed a circle around his grave. Yes, everyone knew one another, except, for the dark haired stranger standing next to Rose. Seeing as he was unknown to the crowds, he was assumed to be the 'new bloke' Jackie had said Rose had found herself.
When the congregation moved to go back to Jackie's flat, many of the old women, who had moments earlier been distraught with grief, were now deliriously happy to have something new to gossip about.
Back at Jackie's flat, Shareen waited until Rose was alone before she pounced.
"Come on then."
"What?" Rose asked with a truthful innocence.
"Come on then tell me, who's the hot guy?"
"Oh." Rose knew who she was talking about, but wanted to annoy her friend first.
"That's my uncle Gerald. A dear for 85, a party animal when he's got his walking stick."
"Very funny Rose. I mean the Cutie you've been around all day. The tall dark and handsome one!"
"Oh. Then you probably mean the Doctor. Um, Dr John Smith, that is."
"Oh." Shareen smiled. "So you're dating him?"
Before Rose could respond, The Doctor walked into the room.
"Rose, it turns out that your mum has told everyone that you and I are an item!" The Doctor looked outraged, but a twinkle in his eyes told Rose otherwise.
"So you're not together then?" Shareen asked.
"No, we are. We just didn't want anyone to know." Rose quickly led the Doctor outside, leaving a confused Shareen in the kitchen.
An equally confused Doctor followed Rose to her bedroom.
"WHAT?" he gawped at her.
"I'm sorry, but come on! My mum hates you! She would never say that we were together unless she had a very good reason." Rose couldn't figure out what it was though.
The Doctor mumbled something in response.
"So could you please play along? Just for today, then we'll get an answer from my mum." She looked at him, a look of pleading in her eyes. His hearts each did a little somersault, he was secretly rather tempted by this idea. 'Cant let feelings like that leak out. Have to try harder to suppress them.'
"Okay. S'pose" he tried to sound as though she'd talked him round, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn't think it was a devastating problem.
Rose and The Doctor walked back out into the kitchen to find Jackie and Shareen there talking to a group of old ladies.
"Ah, Rose, love there you are. I was just telling this lot about you and John. I was telling them about how you met." Jackie looked guiltily at her daughter.
"Oh Jackie, do tell all. I'm sure everyone's craving to find out." The Doctor said, a sarcastic flare in his tone.
"Yes, well as I was saying," she turned back to the old ladies who were scanning the Doctor, their eyes filled with suspicion, "Rose met John at that department store she worked at, he took her away and they've been travelling ever since."
"Travelling?" Aunt Doris interrupted
"Yeah, Travelling. All over the place. Yeah." Rose stammered.
"He's a little OLD for you Rose." Rose's grandmother glared at the Doctor. "You're only nineteen. Jackie, I'm ashamed of you letting Rose go around with a man old enough, daresay, to be her father!"
'I'm old enough to be her great, great, great, great, great, great, great…'
The Doctor's thoughts were interrupted when Rose's grandmother started crying uncontrollably.
"Robbie wouldn't let her do a thing like that!"
The Doctor looked at the bizarre and slightly over dramatic scene in front of him. The old women now started to blubber and well up. Rose looked at the Doctor and tried to stifle a laugh when the women retreated back to the living room. Rose smiled.
"All that stuff mum said, it sort of sounds nice. Normal."
"You wish it had been like that?"
Rose thought for a moment. She shook her head.
"I much prefer being chased by monsters and finding new planets with you!"
This made the Doctor smile. His smile quickly evaporated when an elderly man came into the room.
"John, I've come in here to congratulate you and Rose on your engagement. I'm sure you'll make an honest man out of her."
The Doctor turned around dazed.
"What?" the man gifted with words finally managed to say.
"I dunno." Rose looked worried.
They walked into the living room to find everyone greeting them with smiles.
"Well, I thought it was a little impractical, Jackie telling us about your engagement at a funeral, but congratulations all the same." Rose's grandmother smiled.
A chorus of congratulations filled the room.
The Doctor looked back at Rose.
"We'll question Jackie about this tomorrow," He whispered.
Then he kissed her. A kiss that she returned. The feelings that she had so purposefully suppressed were let out, all mingling into that one kiss. When they broke away, it took Rose a minute to clear her mind.
"What was that for?" She whispered.
"Well, I thought for today, we need to be keeping up appearances."