Thanks again for the reviews. It's nice that some people don't mind the lack of Doctor at the mo... after all, Rose is a fantastic character, she deserves some story of her own!


Jackie loved a good party. Her birthday at the week-end had been the usual rip-roaring affair, and Rose's garden was only just starting to recover from her mother's heels. She knew she should have made the patio just a bit larger. That barbeque, however, was nothing compared to what Jackie was planning for her grandchildren's eighteenth.

Rose stared out of the window distractedly as her mum talked about food and music and presents and guests. She'd got in from work fifty minutes ago. Jon was upstairs, playing some computer game instead of studying for his exams, whilst Janie was lying on a sunlounger in the garden, topping up her already enviable tan. Rose half-wished she could join her, but knew it wouldn't be a good idea; lately she'd found it impossible to spend any time with her daughter without it ending in an argument. She really didn't think she had the energy this evening.

Rose vaguely remembered a time when she would have had the energy for anything. When she'd fight a few monsters, meet a few celebrities, dance the fandango and still not be ready for bed. It felt like a world away though, like the old Rose was someone from a film. All her memories now seemed to have an undertone of exhaustion and weariness. All the photos of her in this place made her look drained. Now, she was pleased if she could make it to work and back, cook some dinner and watch some TV before dozing off.

She couldn't blame the kids for all of it. Of course, having twins at the age of twenty, on her own, had been hard. She'd barely known how to begin looking after them, but she'd coped. She always coped. And it wasn't like she had been completely alone. Until the twins were three, Rose had lived with Jackie and Pete. It had taken her that long to feel settled enough to break out on her own, and she was glad they'd been there. Jackie had done this all before. And these days, they weren't too exhausting. No, the exhaustion wasn't all their fault. Rose knew the lack of energy was just something she'd have to live with, because it was because of him. Missing him and wanting him and needing him and loving him. It had worn her down over the years, and it would continue to for many more, she was sure. Because he wasn't coming back…

"Rose? Rose, are you even listening?" Jackie looked up from the guest list at her daughter.

"Yeah, of course!"

"Then what do you think?"

Rose wondered if she could bluff her way out of this one. She'd never been that good at it when she was younger. She hadn't had much practice in years. Maybe honesty was the best policy.

Looking up guiltily she asked, "What do I think of what?"

Jackie groaned. "About the guest list! Is there anyone missing do you think? I've put down all their friends, or as many of them as I can remember. Oh, hold on! That Shaz one that Janie goes on about."

Rose moved the list away from underneath her mum's biro. "No, I don't think so." She tried to appear nonchalant when Jackie looked at her questioningly. "I think Janie's got enough down on the list already."

Jackie nodded slowly. "Right. So I was thinking… Rose, are you okay, love? You look very distant."

She felt very distant. More and more lately, her mind had been wandering, thinking back over the last eighteen years. Every time she thought about the twins turning eighteen, she felt physically sick, like someone was wrenching out her insides. It was incomprehensible that so much time had passed, that they'd grown up, that she'd aged so much, all just sitting and waiting around for him. Her mind sometimes wandered even further and she found herself day-dreaming about him, imagining his reaction to seeing his grown-up children. He'd be so proud.

But he'd never know. So she might as well look forward.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired." The age old excuse. She could remember using it back when she'd first found out she was pregnant. It had been the scariest day of her life. Barely two weeks after she'd found herself transported to this place, she'd sat in the bathroom in Pete's house and cried. She hadn't known exactly who she was crying for the most, herself, her baby or for him. It had taken her days to confess it all to her mother, who had looked as upset as her originally.

Jackie looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Mum, I'm fine!" Rose snapped unintentionally. She sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout, I'm just…"

"Tired." Jackie nodded, and patted her daughter's back. "I know." It was her turn to sigh. "You know, I missed your dad when you turned eighteen. I just kept thinking how proud he'd be of you."

Rose's shoulders slumped. Of course Jackie would understand what she was feeling; she'd been there before. "I just keep wondering… well, what would he think, Mum? Of Jon and Janie, I mean."

Jackie smiled and kissed Rose on the cheek. "He'd think they were wonderful, because they are. And he'd want them to have a brilliant party, so we better get on and organize it."

Rose couldn't help grinning as they set to work again.


Telling Mickey about the baby had been harder than telling her mum. Rose had winced as she spoke the words, but Jackie had taken pity on her daughter. Her instinctive reaction had been to demand answers, yell at Rose, curse the Doctor. But one look from Pete and she'd known she couldn't. This was her little girl, curled on the sofa, tears pouring down her face, scared and lost and needing her mum. She couldn't be angry with her.

Mickey, though. He didn't owe Rose anything anymore, he didn't have to forgive her for what she'd done. It hadn't been cheating; Mickey had gone already. But Rose couldn't help feeling a little ashamed of herself as she sat down in his new flat and took a deep breath.

"Cup of tea?" Mickey asked, flicking the switch on the kettle.

Rose shook her head hurriedly. Tea made her feel ill these days.

"You used to love tea, couldn't get enough of the stuff. You and him, obsessed with tea you were…"

"Yeah, well, things change." Rose shrugged. "Actually, Mickey, I've got something to tell you."

"Yeah?" He was barely listening, as he hunted for the tin of biscuits that he just knew were around somewhere.

"Yeah. Mickey, I'm really not hungry or anything, can you just come and sit down?"

He frowned. "What's up?" He didn't come and sit down. Rose wondered if this was the extent of their relationship now; she'd drop round and visit, and he'd fuss around over tea and biscuits. She really didn't want that.

Taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes and said quickly, "I'm pregnant." There was silence. She opened her eyes tentatively, looking for a reaction from him. He'd sat down heavily in an armchair. "Mickey? Say something?"

He looked astonished. "Pregnant? Like, with… I mean, is it…?" He shook his head. "Sorry, I just…"

Rose nodded. "It's okay. I figured it would be a bit of a shock for you. And I'm sorry, Mickey, I really am, I…"

"Hey, hold on!" He looked up at her. "Sorry for what?"

Rose felt tears roll down her face again. "For… for this!" She gestured to herself. "I always said there was nothing between me and him and now…"

Mickey moved to sit next to her on the sofa and put his arm around her, hesitantly at first, but when she fell into him, he held her more tightly. "Hey, it's okay," he said softly. "You and me… we were long over, weren't we?" It was the first time he'd admitted it all to himself. "We were over as soon as you stepped into that box. It's okay. I've got used to it. You and him… it was all about you, wasn't?"

Rose sniffed into his shoulder. "It only happened once," she said in a tiny voice.

"No, it didn't. Don't start saying that." Mickey lifted his ex-girlfriend's head off his shoulder.

Rose blushed through her tears. "It wasn't happening when you were with us, it only all happened when you were gone and-"

"Rose," Mickey interrupted her. "I don't care, okay? I don't want to know about it all."

Rose nodded and tried to regain some of her composure. "I know, I'm sorry. I just… what am I going to do, Mick?"

Mickey sighed and pulled her into a hug. "You're going to have his baby. And make him proud."