Jon parked the car and Rose tried to stall a few minutes, to see if she could detect the Tardis anywhere. She pretended to go into her purse for a tissue and glanced at the Tardis key on the chain she always kept it on and waited to see if it glowed, signalling the ship was close by. Jon was waiting at the other side of the car, watching her so she couldn't take the key out but suddenly, the key started to glow and she had been right, the ship had moved close by and she was greatly relieved. All she had to do now was stick it all out until the end and just visit the Tardis in an emergency and hoped the ship would understand it would be difficult to get away for a visit. He must have programmed the ship to follow so he'd known all along what he had intended to do, he had planned to extend this.
Rose smiled and took the hand he was holding out for her and they went upstairs. Rose had recovered and felt a bit better having the ship close by. After they got back to the apartment, Jon took her out onto the balcony and made some tea and asked if she was ok.
"I'm sorry Sweetheart, I know it must have upset you. Do you have any idea why your mother is so against us getting engaged?" he asked.
Rose could only think of one and she didn't want to share her theory, that somehow, she didn't know how, her mother had the idea stuck in her head that she belonged with Mickey and no-one else and even though she had seen her and Jon together had probably thought when the play was over, Rose would go back. She didn't want to dwell on it.
"She'll come round, she always does though I don't know why she called Mickey, like he would be able to talk me out of it. I think she might have done it on purpose. It didn't put you off did it? I mean the fact that I used to go out with him doesn't bother you, does it?"
"No, of course not. You're not thinking of taking any notice are you? I don't want things to be awkward between us because of it, they won't will they?" He moved his chair and went to sit beside Rose, looking out at the river and watching the boats go past. He tried to cheer her up. "Why don't we take a boat out tomorrow and go for a picnic Sweetheart? We can have strawberries and cream again?" he said, kissing her cheek. "There's still some of the bubblebath you like from the other week and this time, I can get in with you, would you like that Rosie?" he asked, putting his finger to lift her chin and leaning across to kiss her.
They fell into a deep kiss which seemed to last ages and Rose knew this was right, she had to put the day's events out of her mind and concentrate on Jon, or rather the Doctor because it was all about him, experiencing being an ordinary male and it wasn't about what others thought, whether it included her mother or not. It had been her fault Jackie had fallen under the spell in the first place, the Doctor probably never reckoned on leaving Rose entirely alone, he must have thought Rose would be able to talk to her and confide in her (and she had stuffed that one up good and proper) but she couldn't any longer. One tiny mistake of inviting her to see the play and she had changed in a short space of time.
The day was soon put behind them as they made love that night, showing each other what had happened was not going to come between them no matter what and the next afternoon, they took a boat down the river and had their strawberries and cream, taking it in turns to give them to each other with kisses inbetween until they were both laughing. Then Jon took them back, arranging a table at a very exclusive restaurant for seven thirty and then running the bath, pouring the bubbles in and Jon undressing her and helping her into the bath before getting in himself after lighting the scented candles. They kissed and cuddled, Jon sitting facing her as they both relaxed when he turned Rose around and she lay back on him.
Rose was in for a really huge shock on the following Wednesday morning. They had been out on the Sunday and Jon had disappeared for a while, saying he wanted Rose to go shopping for a new dress for their holiday for their last evening there so she had chosen something flowing and flowery, hoping he would like it but after they got up, he disappeared again and when he reappeared, the beard he had been growing was gone which Rose had just got used to kissing him with it.
"So, you've got everything packed for our holiday, you've not mislaid your passport again have you?" Jon joked, putting his arms around her from behind.
Rose squirmed out of his grip and turned around to kiss him. Jon continued. "Have you packed your new dress Sweetheart?"
Rose regarded him, was he testing her? She knew she had packed it but he went over to the wardrobe and pulled out the dress. "Put it on Sweetheart, I want to take you somewhere." Rose stood there and looked at him as he handed her the dress. He was being all mysterious and she wasn't sure exactly what he was up to. "You trust me don't you Rose? You do love me?"
"You know I love you but what are you up to? Why all this secrecy?" She took her jeans and t-shirt off and he also handed her lacy white underwear he picked up out of her drawer. She changed without another question, trusting he had a reason for all this.
It was just after ten and he took her down in the lift to the parking garage and held the car door open for her. She had her purse and was tempted to stall him, nip into the Tardis and ask what she was supposed to do because a feeling came over her that he was about to do something really stupid and they were going away the next day and she owed it to the ship to visit before she went. She didn't get chance, she wouldn't be able to stall him long enough to find the Tardis, get in and ask questions even if she found an excuse to send him back upstairs. She would have five minutes at the most to find the ship, get in, ask her question and get back in the car, then she would have to leave the car unlocked while she went inside the Tardis and even with the garage grill down she was risking it. Then there was the matter of the cameras, it would look odd if she wandered around. She couldn't do it, no matter how she tried and now Jon was getting into the driver's seat, putting his hand on her leg and leaning over to kiss her.
She silently willed the Tardis to answer her question, what was she supposed to do? Should she follow him without question and trust he knew what he was doing? It was then she felt a sudden presence in her mind. Jon had just pulled out of his parking space towards the security grill and Rose suddenly got this feeling that everything was ok, to trust him and go wherever he was taking her. That was all she needed.
They only drove to the centre of the town and Jon pulled up outside the Town Hall and she knew what he had planned. They had been engaged only a short time but she knew deep down he wouldn't wait and she knew it was all for real because he wouldn't marry her as Jon then it all fade away when he changed back, he wouldn't do that to her. Rose just sat there, she normally got out herself but she was in shock as he came around and opened the passenger door, taking her hand to help her out. Then he locked the car and took her hand and led her up the steps of the building and led her down a corridor and through a door.
Once inside, Rose was shocked again to find her mother sat there. Somehow Jon had persuaded to Jackie to attend her daughter's wedding and the two woman just hugged.
"Jon was right Rose, I was just being stupid. Of course I wanted to come to your wedding."
Rose was going to have some explaining to do now when he changed back. So was Jon, or rather the Doctor, like just how he had arranged all this, got her mother there for just after ten and did he realise that Earth marriages were meant to be forever? He wouldn't do this on the spur of the moment, he had planned this, he had to have done. She just hoped the Doctor had planned it too or it would be a short marriage.
They were called into the registrar's office and Jon took Rose to one side.
"So Rosie, do you want to marry me now? You can still say no, it's not too late. See, I even got a shave for the occasion," he said, hoping she wasn't going to back out now.
She saw very little choice or did she? She could put it off but then it would all be over, he would leave her for good or she could try to persuade him she needed more time to think about it but she had thought about it, she knew it may be coming, she just hadn't thought this soon. Maybe he had intended for their holiday to be their honeymoon when he had booked it, he had booked an apartment, not just a hotel room, that should have been an indication.
Well she would have to go through with it and hope now it would all come to an end, it wouldn't be that bad married to the Doctor, she had dreamed about being with him and that had come true and nothing would change between them. As they sat and waited to be called forward, he squeezed her hand.
"Jon," Rose whispered. "I never got the chance to buy you a ring, if you want to wear one."
"Don't worry Sweetheart, I got two rings." He got a small pouch out of his top pocket and turned around to Jackie, who took it from him. "Give this to Rose when we exchange rings."
As the ceremony began, Rose wasn't sure about the 'Till death us do part' bit, it was going to be one-sided since technically the Doctor could only die if he failed to regenerate but she was pleasantly surprised that the words had been altered or maybe that was they way the registrar did things. So the time came when he placed the ring on her finger and said the words then Rose turned to her mother, took the ring and placed it on his finger. They kissed when the registrar declared them married and went to sign the register. All Rose could think about was would this be legal when he changed back? She knew he often went by the name of John Smith so she was just hoping a different spelling he was using would count.
Jackie hugged the pair of them when they got outside and they went to a nearby caf to celebrate. Jon had some explaining to do when they got back to their apartment, after carrying his new bride over the threshold. He took her onto the balcony and explained.
"Rose, I know how upset you were when your mother tried to put you off last week but I persuaded her my only intention was to make you happy and since we were going on holiday, I thought it would be a great surprise to you if we made it our honeymoon. We won't have time once I start that new play so it seemed like as good a time as any. You don't regret anything do you Rose?"
She knew she didn't but would he once he changed back? Was it all making sense now though? Was this the only way they could be together? Making himself Human to be with her must have been the ultimate sacrifice to him, to prove he really did love her and getting married while he was Human solved any problems there would have been like Jackie not slapping him for one although she probably would when she really found out but it would be too late. They were married, he had a career and they had their own apartment and they loved each other.
"I don't regret anything Jon, I was just surprised that we only just got engaged and you arranged it all so quickly. Didn't you have a load of forms to fill in?"
"I got a special licence Sweetheart, not something that's commonly known about but under certain circumstances they still do them. So Mrs Smyth? Are you going to keep your maiden name and be Rose Tyler-Smyth? You'll have to change all your documents but you can do that when we get back, that's why I booked the holiday, now our honeymoon in both our names. I know you wouldn't want to make a fuss with a big wedding, we don't have many people to invite anyway and the press haven't got hold of it yet although I'll have to inform my agent and accountant. Do you still want to work in the theatre with me, as my assistant so you can keep an eye on me?"
Rose didn't have time to reply as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
After they had consummated their marriage, Rose put her new dress back on and Jon took her out to celebrate, only having one drink as they were setting off early for their now honeymoon first thing the following morning. The taxi arrived to take them to the airport and everything went without a hitch. They arrived at the resort and settled in, pulling down the blinds and falling onto the bed after Jon whistled at his new wife and began to undress her, slowly as she then did the same to him, taking her time now they were actually married.
"You make me very happy Rose, you know that don't you?" he said as he brushed against her while they stood touching. "I love you so much Rosie, now we can really start to make plans." He lay her back on the bed and crawled on top of her, calling her name, telling her he wanted her now.
They spent most of their honeymoon by the pool, sometimes splashing around in the water or on the seashore and wandering into the town in the afternoon. They took a boat ride up the coast to another resort and on the last day bought each other a wedding present. Rose was glad she had left the fob watch at home, she couldn't risk losing it or getting it confiscated. On their last night, they went out to dinner instead of dining in the hotel and that was when Jon dropped the bombshell starting a family.
Was he serious, Rose was thinking as he said they shouldn't wait to long and they could start looking for a house, in the same town preferably because it was nice there and near the river. He wanted a boy and a girl, asking Rose if she minded to which she had to agree she wasn't really bothered and tried to sound as enthusiastic as she possibly could. He wanted her to stop taking precautions right away and Rose was astounded at all the plans he was making and wondered where they had all come from. As Jon, he must have been planning this for quite a while or else it was deep rooted and was coming from his sub-conscious, that his real self wanted a real life, something he could never have as a Timelord but could as Jon and it must all end very soon before it was too late and they found themselves with a real family.
Maybe though, Rose couldn't get pregnant if he was a Timelord, maybe he had to be Human for that to happen but if she did get pregnant and he changed back, what if he rejected her? He wouldn't would he? Not if that had been the plan all along.
As Rose lay with Jon fully on top of her, calling her name as they made love, Rose calling his, never wanting any of this to end, she decided she would go ahead with it, he had lost his own family and he could have another with her. She was young, healthy and married, there was no reason why she shouldn't and most of all, she loved him.
After they arrived back home Rose agreed to stop taking precautions and Jon said the would look for a house nearby. He said the money from the apartment would more than cover the cost and Rose decided to play along. At least she knew the apartment was real enough and if they stayed together after he opened the watch they would have somewhere to go when they weren't travelling instead of her mother's flat.
Jon went out one afternoon to be interviewed for a local radio station to put paid to all the rumours and to announce officially they had indeed got married. He said it would be best he went on his own and then they would make a statement to the local newspaper the following day. They had got back home to find their names plastered all over the media and where they had got the story about the wedding from they didn't know. Thankfully, no-one had got their address and they weren't being followed but Jon knew only too well that once they were seen out together, reporters would be all over them. So while he was out Rose took the opportunity to pay a visit to the Tardis and ask a few questions.
She made her way down to the parking garage and had her keys and phone in her pocket, the Tardis key on a chain in her hand, watching for it to start glowing. The garage was a fair size but there weren't many places to hide something the size of a Police Box except a door marked 'Private' and she walked towards it. She had often seen the door but never wondered exactly what would be behind it, the janitor's room perhaps? Now was the time to find out but there were cameras, how would she get away with being nosy and trying to open the door?
Then she had an idea, she would pretend to be looking for something she had dropped and didn't want to wait for her husband coming back. So she rang the front desk, saying she thought she had dropped her bracelet and didn't want Jon to know about it and had someone found it? The doorman said no-one had handed it in and as they parked their car near the door, she said she would look around for it, noticing that there was another car covering the door from the view of the camera and thought if she wasn't long she wouldn't get noticed. It worked as she looked through the small window on the door but was dismayed the Tardis wasn't there. If it had been she would have seen it even when no-one else could have.
So where was the ship parked then if the key was glowing? She came from behind the car and rang the doorman to say she couldn't find it and it must be upstairs after all and asked he didn't mention it as the gift was a present from her husband and she didn't want him to know she thought she had lost it. She decided to take the stairs to get some exercise, the key was still glowing in her hand so where was the ship hiding? Unless she didn't want to be found but why not? They would have to find her when he changed back but she needed answers now and the Tardis playing hide and seek did not answer them. What was she going to do?
She was thinking how to bring up the subject of the fob watch one evening late in September, a few weeks after they had got married and she decided to go for it. They were sat on the balcony.
"Jon, you remember the watch I showed you, you said you'd look at it then with getting married and everything, we never had the chance. Do you want to see it now?" Rose said, getting up to get it.
Jon took her arm and sat her on his lap. "What's the rush, come here and kiss me first."
They kissed and Rose tried to get back up but he held onto her. Rose knew there wasn't a lot of time left to show him the watch. They had been together almost five months now and she had battled his advances when she needn't have, she could have stuck it out but maybe lost him and now they were together and married, something she never would have believed was possible. Now it was up to her to end it, to take away his new life of being married and bringing up a family and she had to take a really big gamble that he wouldn't hate her for letting him get married and thinking of starting a family.
No, there was no rush to end this she was thinking. She could safely leave it until just before she met him in the department store basement but would she want to end it even then? If she got pregnant now, she might just have a baby before she had to end it, how would he react? That he hadn't been there for her during her pregnancy as himself? Maybe she should end it when she did get pregnant and let the Timelord part of him look after her there was no real answer to this, whatever she decided. It was her happiness or his, she had to make the sacrifice and take the plunge. She had got him into this, he had wanted it, he had wanted to be a normal male to show he could and he had changed the original plan.
Rose got herself disentangled from Jon and got up, going into the bedroom and retrieving the watch. Jon had followed her as she turned around and he walked up to her, putting his arms around her. She held the watch out to him, hoping he would take it without question, smiling at him and at the last second, she held it back, going to kiss him if it was going to be for the last time.
"Wow Rose, that was some kiss, what was that for?" Jon asked, slightly stunned and wrapping his arms around her even more then going in for another one. He wasn't going to make this easy for her.
They broke the second kiss and Jon looked at her hand still holding the watch. "Rose, why is this so important to you? You don't have to give me the watch to prove you love me, I know you love me. You've always loved me and I've always loved you and now, I suppose the game is over."
Rose stared at him. How did he know they had been playing at him being Human? "It's you isn't it? It's been you all along, you've just been pretending to be Human." She tried not to sound too disappointed but she was, he hadn't even changed. He had been stringing her along all this time.
"No Rose, I'm Human, well my body is. I did change Rose, I took all my Timelord biology out of me and certain other factors but essentially it's me, has been all along and I know that wasn't exactly the deal but I couldn't risk the Earth being in danger by being totally out of it. You put up quite a resistance Rose, there was only a week to go but that bubblebath got you in the end didn't it?"
She knew he was enjoying this, she felt like slapping him silly. She felt herself go red, it had been him all along and he had chosen to play along. She figured he had been around enough people to learn how to act and spend three months doing a play.
"Actually, it was the long hair that did it as well but the bubblebath gave me the final push. I thought I was going to lose you. Why did you let it go over the three months? You didn't want to open the watch before but why not?"
"Because I was enjoying it Rose. For the first time in my life I had someone who loved me enough to give me a chance at a normal life. That's what you did Rose. It started out when I found out what you wanted me to be and I thought it would be fun, pretending to be famous for three months but then I wouldn't have known you and I would have missed out. So I had the Tardis go ahead with your plan but changed it so I would still be aware of what went on but when the three months were up, I didn't want it to end. I would have come out of it in time for you still to be destined to meet me next year and I'm sorry I was a year out, about Mickey being here. I didn't mean to leave you on your own, your mother wasn't meant to fall under the illusion but it was quite funny, she never even slapped me."
"So let me get this right, you changed my plan and you planted that recording to make me think you had changed it and you've been completely in charge all this time?" He nodded. "And you let me think you were Human all this time, that you didn't know what was going on?" She didn't know whether to kiss him or slap him. She hit his arm instead.
"Ow, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his arm. He looked over at Rose who was still holding the watch in the palm of her hand.
"Think yourself lucky I didn't slap you silly you daft alien for making me think I had gone too far and crossed the line when you were in control all along. I should have known really. So does this end now? Are you going to open the watch and go back to your old self?"
"Do you want me to? I can stay this way a bit longer if you want but nothing will change between us, we're still married. I can wait a few more months if you want?"
"That's not fair, how long for? A month or two? No, we should end this now, you should go back to your old self and let the world move on."
"Don't you want me to stay like this a bit longer Rose? I meant what I said, about starting a family. Don't you want me to help you, to share everything as a normal male? We can be together as a normal couple, the world can wait a bit longer, everyone will go back to what they were doing when all this started and the actor I based myself on will go on to have a brilliant career, you could say I sort of helped him and he really will star in that play but in 2013. Do you still love me Rose, even though I led you on?"
"I shouldn't, you made me think all this was real, that I was completely on my own when you knew all along." She put the watch down and let him put his arms around her. "Yes, I still love you, Doctor."
"Good. I'll open the watch if you want but consider one thing Rose Tyler-Smyth. We could carry this on and I can help you through ." He stopped. "Oh, you don't know yet do you?" he said, looking at her tummy. "Mmm, I may have lost some of my Timelord abilities but not all of them. I know it's a bit early for you to tell but Rose there's no other way to tell you this but you're pregnant. About four weeks I'd say, just after you stopped taking precautions."
Rose stood in shock. She didn't feel anything but she was a few days late but put it down to the re-adjustments. He let it sink in. "Let me help you through this Rose, I know it's a shock but I want to experience everything with you, as a Human, not a Timelord. Will you let me?"
Rose nodded. She went to put the fob watch back in the drawer. She loved him like this, as Jonathan Smyth. "So are you going to take that part in that play then?" Rose asked.
"No, there's no need for me to, I'll just say I can't appear, I've not signed anything and it will still be played in a few years time by the same actor, it will have been him all along. We can live here comfortably until it's nearly time but there is something I have to do. I have to free your mother from this illusion or she'll literally kill me if everyone snaps out of this and you're about to give birth. We should go see her tomorrow and I'll lift the illusion from her. She wasn't meant to fall under it. Just as long as she keeps Mickey away. You're going to need her."
"But you staying in the past, isn't that going back on your own timeline?"
"Not exactly. I wasn't on Earth during this period. I was storming around the galaxy, angry with myself and the universe so technically, it's not my personal timeline plus I'm Jon Smyth still, until I change back.
So the next day, they went to see Jackie, without alerting Mickey and the Doctor cleared her mind so she knew who he was and they explained everything to her. She had to restrain herself from slapping him for him getting her daughter pregnant but at least he had married her first. Christmas was soon upon them and Rose started to show her baby bump so she was wearing very loose fitting clothes. They had elected to have Jackie to their apartment for Christmas, talking about the next Christmas to come and what was going to happen, Jackie finding it hard to come to terms she was actually living in the past. They went to London for the New Year, Rose wanting to spend some time with her old friends, bragging she had got married and showing off her famous husband, the Doctor happy to play the part for a while longer and after the party, they all piled into a taxi and Rose and he were going to stay overnight at Jackie's flat and while they were walking to the block of flats, Jackie got a phone call asking her to go to one of her boyfriends' flats so she kissed her daughter goodnight and wished them both a happy New Year and Rose and the Doctor walked towards their block.
Suddenly Rose stopped as she heard a noise in the shadows. The Doctor heard it too but tried to steer his wife away from it until Rose could ignore it no longer and being her, he knew nothing would stop her seeing what it was. He stood back as Rose saw a figure and she stopped, like she had seen a ghost. He saw her and rushed to her side.
"What is it Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He looked in the shadows but couldn't see anyone and he led her towards the stairs, not wanted her to be left alone outside.
Rose knew what she had seen but it was impossible because he was right beside her she had seen an older version of her husband The Doctor.
Rose's time was drawing near and so was the time she should be in London meeting the Doctor for the first time. She knew they were cutting it close but she wanted this baby while he was still Human.
Right on time, Rose had a healthy baby girl, they named her Astrid, an anagram of Tardis and shortly after, the fob watch was opened and the Doctor went back to being normal, well normal for him as Jackie said and the world moved on, back to what it had been doing, Mickey was still in the alternate universe and they still had their apartment which had suddenly acquired another smaller bedroom by them adding a room divider but they planned to get a house eventually so they had somewhere to go when they weren't travelling the stars.
The End!
