A/N: This one kind of got away from me and didn't go anywhere near where I was expecting. And is completely out of season, but hopefully it works. Also only edited by me. Don't own. Blah, blah, blah.
The Christmas Party
Nearly every single person employed by Torchwood is stuffed into the Tyler Mansion for their annual Christmas Party. Jackie and Pete mingle like pros. Though the Doctor can see, while Jackie gets a laugh out of all the attention, she doesn't need it like her original parallel earth counterpart seemed to. Rose is at the bar with her old teammate Jaime. She glows in a gold cocktail dress and heels that could take out an eye. Her hair is up, braided, and twisted at the back of her head. She's giggling at whatever Jaime has said and her smile is bright. It makes him smirk even if he doesn't care for the way Jaime leans close to her or how easily his fingers could accidentally slip from his knee to hers.
He watches everything from his corner near the window, where Rose left him to make her rounds. He keeps his hands busy with a glass of ridiculously expensive scotch and the two little silver bands in his pocket he keeps meaning to give to Rose. Just looking for the right moment, he keeps telling himself. People pass by him with strange smiles and little nods. Some even make small talk.
It's not that he doesn't like mingling and he's actually quite good at it, but so many Torchwood agents in one place still makes him all squirmy. Yes, he has worked there now for nearly nine months along with Rose and her father, but he still sees the sideways glances he gets when the Tyler's aren't looking. That look that clearly says, I won't ask questions because I've been ordered not to, but there's something wrong with you. Of course, most anyone with any pull in the institute at least has a vague idea of what and who he is, but there's still this one question nagging at him. What if there was that war driven desperation and the brain, blood, and guts of a half Time Lord meta-crisis started to look like a viable option for a way to end it?
Well, he can't have that, not with this finite body. He thinks it's one reason why Pete suggested they look for a home in Cardiff if they were so keen on moving out of the mansion. He's certain it wasn't just the promotion he offered Rose in taking over the much smaller Cardiff branch, which is where they've spent the last four or so months. He smiles a little, remembering he and Rose talking about it the night it was suggested while snuggled in her bed. All warm and naked and sated as she drew absent patterns on his chest.
"You know what this would mean, right?" she asked through a mischievous grin. "I'd be your boss."
He furrowed his brow and she her smiled widened.
"No..."
"Yep. Dad said you could be my technologies and development consultant, which means you'd be my subordinate."
"You know, I don't do very well with authority figures."
"Oh, really?"
She crawled on top of him then, wriggling against him and pinning his arms down-
"What you doing in a corner by yourself?"
He clears his throat and finds Jackie in front of him, hands on her hips. He shakes the images of her naked daughter out of his mind and puts on his best grin.
"Oh, well, you know. Just surveying the land. Making sure there's no robotic Santas or killer trees. Come to think of it, I don't have the best track record with Christmas."
"Don't I know it," Jackie mutters. "Well, standing off by yourself is just making you look even weirder to everyone. At least go keep Rose company. And I'd look out for that Jaime bloke if I was you. Had his eye on her since she first got here. Now go on."
She pushes at his back and he can't not do what she says, because he's a little scared of her if he's honest. A fear that has only intensified with his new found, intimate, knowledge of her daughter.
He goes through the crowd, chit-chatting with a couple ladies from the Research and Development Department he had been working in before the move. He interacts and shows interests, but still keeps his eyes on Rose and Jaime. He supposes he is a handsome bloke, all blonde and blue eyed and muscel-y. But he doubts good old Jaime could fashion a sonic screwdriver out of spare wreckage parts from various space crafts and gadgets, all while stuck on Earth of all places.
He excuses himself from his ex-co-workers and heads to the bar. Rose is talking through her smile, hands making grand gestures as she recounts some story to Jaime. The Doctor slips in behind her and places a hand on her back.
"Hey," she says smiling up at him. "Decided to leave your corner?"
"Yeah, well, your mum kinda chased me out," he says. "Hello Jaime. Having fun?"
Jaime smiles, tightly, but so does the Doctor as they shake hands.
"Fun enough," Jaime replies.
"Oh, I was just telling Jaime about that meteor thing we were looking into last month," Rose says.
"She says you nearly blew up the lab trying to get the piece of rock open," Jaime says a little too triumphantly.
"The lab was never," he starts and then looks pointedly at Rose. "The lab was never in danger of blowing up."
"Tell that to poor Gary's eyebrows," Rose says.
"I warned him not to stand so close," the Doctor says. "Anyway, if you want stories, how about some of our dear Miss Tyler? She is one of the most jeopardy prone people I have ever met. Almost worse than me and that's saying-"
"Oi!" Rose says, playfully elbowing his stomach. "Wouldn't have been in those situations if it wasn't for you."
"Now you sound like your mother."
She shoots him a glare that clearly indicates he'll pay for that later in the most exquisite way. He grins because he can't wait. And then everything goes black.
"What the bloody hell did you do now?" he hears Jackie yell and he's quite certain the question is directed at him.
He rounds his arm around Rose and squeezes her waist, just as the generators kick in. Everyone is stock still, holding their breath in the dim light because it's Torchwood and things are never simple. Their brains run through cyber men invasions, alien parasites, rifts in time and space that can suck you in whole and spit something worse out.
The Doctor watches an arm guard approach Pete and then whisper in his ear. Pete doubles over with huff and then laughs with relief.
"Just a blown fuse box," Pete announces. "Looks like we're having too much fun."
The crowd laughs a little at themselves the Doctor supposes and little a Pete.
"A technician's on his way-"
"I could take a look," the Doctor offers.
Pete gives a little smile and nod before turning back to his guests, encouraging them to drink the liqueur before it gets warm. The Doctor turns to Rose.
"So, want to check out a fuse box?" He asks her, letting his eyebrows jump with excitement.
She squints her eyes at him, but then gives him that you're totally mad, but I love you for it smile.
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
He takes her hand and pulls her along, giving a dismissive wave to Jaime. He vaguely registers her saying see you later to her would be suitor, but then she's beside him hugging his arm as they walk.
The basement is toward the back of the mansion, through the kitchen and down a set of wooden stairs painted pale blue. The Doctor leads the way down and goes straight to the fuse box as he pulls out his make-shift sonic screwdriver. It's not as sleek or pretty as his old one and it's a wee bit glitchy, but still gets the job done. Mostly.
He pulls out his specs because he actually kind of needs them now and pops open the fuse box. From the corner of his eye, he sees Rose lean against the brick wall to watch him as he pulls out fuses and wires, tinkering and scanning.
"You sure you know what you're doing?" Rose asks.
"Oh, bite your tongue," he says, eyes never leaving his work. "Almost there."
He stuffs all the parts back in the box and with a flip of a switch the house comes to life. He grins at Rose, triumphant, and watches as her lips quirk upwards.
"Mission accomplished. Now back to the party, then?" Rose says, already turning toward the stairs.
"Just a minute," he says.
He pulls her back by her waist and swivels her around. He holds her at arm's length, his eyes looking her up and down. There is something both painful and wonderful rising in his chest at how strong and beautiful, but ultimately fragile she - they are.
"You are brilliant Rose Tyler. Absolutely gorgeous."
She dusts off imaginary lint from his shoulder and then winds her arms around his neck.
"Not looking so bad yourself."
He pulls her impossibly close against him. His lips are on hers, her tongue in his mouth. She shifts against him, brushing against his pelvis. Her eyes pop open and he looks a bit guilty at his semi erect state.
"Are you trying to shag me in my parent's basement?"
"No. Well..."
"Doctor, I will go almost anywhere with you, but this place is cold and damp and there's an open door right up there."
"Right."
"Come on, let's go back up to the party for a bit and then we can finish this at home."
"Wait. Wait, wait. I..."
"What's wrong?"
His hand goes to his pocket and he fingers the little silver bands. It seems like too much and not enough. And everything's happening so fast and its wonderful and terrifying and so simple but so hard.
"I've been meaning to give you something for a couple months."
He pulls out the rings and then let's them lay against his palm to show her. He watches Rose's eyes flash up at him, all thrilled and panicked, but then they shoot back down to the rings. They look like simple wedding bands, except for the design along each band.
"What are these symbols?" She asks.
"They're Gallifrean. They...well you'd equate it to a blessing. A, uh, marriage blessing. It says, roughly, may you travel through all of time and space always together."
She blinks. He doesn't know what to make of her scrunched brow and the shininess in her eyes.
"Are you proposing?"
He sighs and gives a little shrug. Uncertainty creeps up his spine because what if this is too much, too soon? What if a part of her is still waiting for the other Doctor to come sweep her off her feet?
"I don't care if we have a piece of paper that says it. Half of it would be a lie anyway. Or if we have any ceremony that tells everyone your my wife, well, I wouldn't mind Jaime knowing," he says, pausing at the roll of her eyes. "I just, you once promised me forever. I'd like to offer you the same."
He stares down at her wishing she would just say something. But she doesn't. Instead she fists his jacket and then his mouth is crashing against hers. His whole body jars and he nearly drops the rings before clutching them in his fist. She steps into him and he shuffles back. It's a continuous dance until he's backed into a far corner below the stairs. She presses against him, wriggles, and he moans into her mouth. He heaves a sigh and pulls back.
"I thought you were opposed to shagging in the basement."
"Changed my mind."
She lunges for his mouth again, but he stops her and grasps her upper arms with his hands.
"Hold that thought. There's one other part of this. If you want. I'd like to tell you something. Something no one else can ever know. Not Jackie. No one. Ever."
She gives the slightest of nods and then he leans down. His rough cheek brushes the smoothness of hers. His nose fondles the shell of her ear and then his lips. Then he says it. She pulls back, mouth parted as she stares up at him.
"Was that?"
"My name. Means so much more than any paper I could sign."
She blinks, her eyes wet, but smiling. She hides her face in this chest for a moment, but when she looks back up she is grinning.
"Can I have my ring now?"
He gives her a slow smile. The one he knows is a little arrogant, but still genuine all at the same time.
"Oh, yes."
He puts his own on first, on his left middle finger, and then slips her ring on her left middle finger.
"Isn't it supposed to go on this one?" Rose asks, wiggling her ring finger.
"I know I'm part human now, but I still can't completely buy into all your si- varied traditions, so, this was my compromise," he says and then takes in her best Jackie Tyler stare, which makes his neck go stiff. "Granted that's okay with you?"
She looks down at the ring and makes him squirm, almost quite literarily. But then she looks back up at him and she's grinning.
"It's perfect."
She grabs his hand and he can feel the newly added metal mold to her skin as she squeezes. She tugs and turns toward the stairs. She up a step and a half when she notices he's not following.
"So, we're not shagging in the basement, then?" He asks.
"This deserves so much more than that, don't you think?"
He looks up at Rose Tyler. She is powerful and beautiful and half the time doesn't know it. And she is his, but he's hers too. He nods and lets her lead them back upstairs to say their goodbyes.
