-1And then Rose grew up
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing the Doctor and Donna, I'll put them back later. Rose belongs to me. I make no money from the writing of this story, it is for entertainment only.
A/N: Sequel to 'And then there was Rose'. Doctor/Donna, no romance. This was enormous fun to write. Donna is definitely one of the best companions, and I really enjoy writing for her. Feedback is muchly appreciated!
The Doctor was getting angry. "Donna, will you hold that lever down?"
Donna was holding Rose tightly. "I'm trying to keep an eye on Rose for you!"
"Leave her for a second! Where's she gonna go?"
Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh, I dunno, wandering off?"
"Don't start, Donna. Give her to me, and hold that lever down!" Rose began to cry.
"You're not giving me orders, alien boy! She's your daughter!"
The Doctor was furious. "Donna, right now I don't care! There's a crisis going on right now on planet Messaline, and if you don't do what I say, they're all gonna die!"
She admitted defeat, not something that happened often. "Next time, just say," she said, handing over Rose.
"Thank you! Now move!" he shouted.
Later, with the Messaline problem sorted, they went back in the Tardis. The Doctor was unusually moody. He carried Rose over to the jump seat and flopped down. He couldn't look Donna in the eye.
"You didn't mean what you said earlier. About not caring for Rose."
The Doctor, sitting with a sleeping Rose in his arms, didn't answer, looking at the console room floor.
"So, is she…hang on, what's a female Time Lord?"
Still not looking at her, the Doctor replied, "Doesn't matter. Let's go."
"It does matter. Why don't we just park here for the night, and you look after Rose?" Father and daughter need to bond.
The Doctor looked horrified at the very thought. Finally looking at her, he asked, "Why would I want to do that? Too human for me."
Donna was surprised to hear him say that. "Doctor, she's your daughter. And she's a baby, she needs looking after. You made her cry. I've got no experience, I can't. Don't go all alien now."
"Look, it's been a long time since we left Jenny behind, and even longer since I left my granddaughter. You say you've got no experience, but she's yours too, Donna. Remember? You carried her for four months, I for five. Therefore she's ours. Don't you think I've enough responsibility trying to save the universe?
"You've just as much responsibility for your daughter as you have for the universe."
He looked away, not ready to admit he was ashamed. Then he jumped off the seat and ran down a corridor. Donna didn't follow. He needs some time alone.
Later, she went to Rose's bedroom, and poked her head round the door. The Doctor was sitting next to Rose's crib, rocking it gently and singing (rather well, she had to admit) a lullaby. She didn't dare disturb the peace, so she removed herself and stood outside, just listening. She didn't recognise the lullaby, but it was beautiful. Rose was probably already asleep. He can be a good dad. Lullabies like that? God, he really kept that under wraps, didn't he?
Rose was certainly growing up fast. Now two years old, she really kept her parents on the run-around. Not ginger, though.
And the Doctor really had grown to love her. Often Donna would come in to find Rose sitting on her father's lap, while he showed her parts of the console. He did this lovingly, holding her gently in place with one hand while pointing at parts of the console with the other. No longer a newborn, she had her father's big brown eyes and her mother's temperament.
"We'd better not go back to Pompeii, though," Donna had said once. "They'd be shocked that a brother and sister had a kid together."
As Rose grew up, Donna gathered more and more fond memories of her daughter. She remembered the first time they had tried her on solid food. Well, the Doctor had, anyway. He insisted. Donna remembered laughing as she had returned, fully dressed, to discover the Doctor covered in baby food, and one very happy baby. They had eventually taken Rose back to Donna's mum Sylvia, who shown the Doctor how to feed a baby properly.
Another time, the Doctor had been fixing the Tardis. He'd removed the grate from the console floor and sat down on the step just under. Donna had been dressing Rose, in a lemon coloured babygro. She'd put her down and Rose had crawled off to the console room to look for her daddy. All she could see was the top of his head. She'd crawled over, bum-shuffled on to the step and begun playing with his hair. This eventually turned into gentle pulling. When she pulled hard, the Doctor yelled. Donna had come running, to find Rose pulling at the Doctor's hair and gurgling happily.
He had been initially cross, but as Donna said later, "Well, if you will have such big hair."
She was still playful. Still loved pulling at his hair. "One of these days, she'll have a chunk of it out," complained the Doctor. "She pulls way too hard for a two-year-old girl."
"She's more like me than I thought. My first day at school, I was sent home for biting," laughed Donna.
"Think one of you's enough," groaned the Doctor. "I like my big hair."
Rose was now five, and Donna had decided to address the issue of school to the Doctor. She didn't suppose Time Lords went to school like humans did.
"Doctor, when's Rose starting school?"
The Doctor was fiddling with the console and didn't look up. "School?"
"Yes, school. When's she going?"
"I hadn't thought about that." Donna just rolled her eyes.
"You were gonna keep her here, in the Tardis, all her life?"
"Er, yeah, yeah I was. Got a problem with that?"
"How's she gonna learn if she's kept in a box?"
"Learn what?"
"You big dumbo. All the kids on Earth start school when they're five years old. So they can learn things like how to add up and write and draw and stuff. Don't they do that on Mars?"
"Nah. We go into the Time Academy when we're eight, learn about time and space and matter. Much more interesting than sums and drawing!"
"But she won't know basic facts of life or anything. She'll grow up an idiot, Doctor. Do you want her to?"
"I'd rather show her the universe, Donna."
"She'll grow up an idiot. She won't be anything like you."
"If she went to school, we'd have to go and pick her up every day. What if she didn't want to leave? What if she has too much fun at school?"
"Doesn't matter. She needs an education more than anything."
"She will get an education, right here in the Tardis."
"A proper education, Doctor. If you won't take her, I will. You'll wish you hadn't shown me how to fly this thing." She lifted Rose and moved towards the controls. The Doctor blocked her path. She attempted to walk around him, but he grabbed her around the waist, as though trying to make a point.
"Donna, listen. No school for Rose."
"Hands off, Martian boy. She is going, end of story." Donna slapped his hands away and tried to move again.
"She's not going, end of."
Just then a small voice piped up. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"Rose, you're five years old."
"But, Dad, I want to go to school. It sounds really good!"
"Rose, I am your father, and-"
"I wish you weren't! You won't let me do anything I want!" And she stormed off down a corridor, with the all the authority her five-year-old self could manage.
"Blimey, she's more like me than I thought," said Donna. "I think it's decided. School."
"Your grandfather was right. You really do take care of me."
"I'll fly the Tardis. You'd better make up with Rose."
From toddler tantrums to teenage strops, the Doctor saw it all over the next nine years. He and Donna were the not-so-proud parents of fourteen-year-old Rose. She was definitely more like Donna in every way. The only traits she shared with her father were his big brown eyes and thick brown hair, i.e. physical.
"Dad, I really want to go out with my friends. I've seen all I want to see of the universe today. You never let me go out, except for Saturdays. Let me have a bit of freedom, why don't you?"
"You're only fourteen, Rose. Maybe when you're a bit older."
"But I want to go out tonight!"
"Rose, you can't have it all your own way. What are you wearing, anyway?"
"Don't change the subject. You can't always have it your own way either."
"You cheeky little madam! Don't think that's gonna let you out."
"If you don't let me out I'll tell Mum. She'll sort you out, like she always does."
"Don't bring your mother into this. Go to your room!"
Rose stalked off, muttering to herself. The Doctor heard phrases like, "bet he wishes I'd never been born" and "bet he's not my real dad".
"I heard that!" he yelled after her.
"Good! Maybe it'll make you think before you bar me from going out!"
The Doctor sighed and flopped down in the jump seat, admitting defeat.
Today was the day the Doctor finally had to let Rose have her freedom. She was eighteen, after all. He knew he would miss her when she was gone. Still, at least she was choosing to leave, rather than some horrible fate taking her from him.
She had finally matured. She was finished school, and was now going to university. The Doctor didn't know the first thing about this, so he took her word for it that it was a good thing.
"Don't go out with too many boys," he said, by way of goodbye.
"I won't, Dad," she replied, her rucksack on her back, kissing him on the cheek and turning to go.
"And don't-"
"Goodbye, Dad," she said, hugging him briefly before turning away and walking towards the door. "Bye, Mum." Donna waved, wiping a tear away.
The minute Rose had disappeared through the door and closed it behind her, the Doctor turned to Donna.
"Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"Want to have another one?"