A/N: The response to Stuck With You was just so lovely, I decided to make a series out of it. This one follows up a year after the events of Stuck With You. Previous knowledge of that story is helpful. Thanks and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related.
"What do you want, woman? You've been blowing up my phone for the past hour!"
"Where the hell are you, Jimmy?" Rose whispered harshly into her mobile.
"I'm at Rodrick's. What's it to you?"
Rose pinched the bridge of her nose and turned so she was further hidden in her kitchenette. "Did you forget what today is?" Met with silence, she went on, "It's Johnny's birthday. His first birthday."
Her ex, and the father of her child, sighed. "Okay. It's not like he won't have more birthdays."
"God, Jimmy, that's not the point! You were the one who called me six months ago claiming you wanted to be involved in your son's life. Since then you've only seen 'im twice and only for a few minutes. I mean, what the hell, Jimmy? You told me you would be here."
"I know, I know. But listen, Rose, I got a gig for tomorrow night and Rodrick and I gotta practice. You understand. Right, babe?"
Rose sucked in a sharp breath. "Don't call me babe."
"Don't be like that," he admonished. "Come on, he's only one. It's not like he'll even miss me."
At the sound of a high pitch giggle, Rose turned back towards the living area of her flat. Her son was currently being flown about the room like an aeroplane and loving every second of it. "You're right," she said softly. "He won't miss you. But not because he's only one." Pulling her mobile away from her ear, Rose ended the call and went to rejoin her son's first birthday party. She would not let her ex-boyrfriend ruin this day for her. This was a day of celebration, for so many reasons.
"Everything okay?"
Rose grinned up at the man holding her son above his head. The man who helped bring her son into this world. Doctor John Noble. "Yeah, everything's great." Reaching up, she pulled the little boy into her arms. "Now, who's ready for his first bite of cake?"
John furrowed his brow. "First bite of cake? He's had cake before."
"No, he hasn't."
"Course he has!"
"I've never given him cake before. Have you?" she questioned, eyeing him carefully.
"What?" His eyes widened. "What? Me!? No, no, no. I mean, I just uh- I assumed he'd had cake before. I didn't mean I had given him cake. No, course not. That's be foolish of me. Very foolish."
Rose gave a reluctant, "Riiight," as she moved to put her son in his highchair.
"Smooth," Jackie Tyler muttered to him under her breath.
"Like you've never snuck him a bite of anything," John whispered back accusingly.
"Rose, I have a confession to make," John said carefully after the party was over. He'd stayed behind to help Rose pick up the flat and get Johnny ready for bed.
"Is it that you've given my son cake before?" she responded with a smirk.
His mouth opened slowly. "Actually, yes. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.
She giggled. "S' fine. Tell you what though, someday when you have kids, I'm so sneaking them sweets!"
"Well, I doubt that will happen. I'd make a rubbish dad."
Rose smiled at the man who was currently holding her son, rocking him to sleep. "I somehow doubt that," she said, watching him slowly strokethe little boy's back. Sometime later after the the flat had been cleaned and Johnny put to bed, Rose pulled a small, wrapped box off the mantle. "I, uh, I have something for you."
John took the box and turned it over in his hand. "For me?" he questioned. "It's not my birthday."
"Well, no, but... The reason Johnny's here today is because of you."
"Rose-"
She cut him off. "No, here me out. When my water broke I was so bloody terrified. All I could think was that I needed to get to the hospital. I was so distracted, I forgot my mobile. And then when the lift stopped... It felt like my heart stopped with it. But you were there and you stayed so calm. You called for help, you took care of me... You delivered my son. If you weren't there, who knows what would have happened." She took a deep breath, attempting to hold back tears. "And in this past year you have become so much more than the doctor who saved us. I could say you've become a friend, but that's just not the case. You're our family."
John ran his free hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. "Rose, you have to know. I-I feel the same about the both of you. And even though this might sound bad to say, getting stuck with you in that lift was the greatest thing to happen to me."
"Not so bad at alll," Rose said said softly. "Are you going to open your present?"
"Right, yes, of course." He nodded, slowly unwrapping the small box. Inside, he found a small silver pocket watch. Upon opening the watch he found a picture of himself holding Johnny the first time he and his sister visited Rose's flat. "Rose, where did you...?" he trailed off, trying to remember if he saw her with a camera that day.
"Donna took it with her phone and sent me a copy. Do you- Do you like it? I know it might seem a bit old fashioned, not many people carry pocket watches anymore, but it just seemed like something you would like."
A bright smile grew across his face. "The gift of time. Rose Tyler, I love it!"