A/N: I was not a big fan of the episode Love and Monsters. It wasn't horrible, but I felt that it was just one of those filler episodes that a lot of shows have and thus a wasted opportunity for more Doctor and Rose fluff; considering Billie was leaving at the end of the season. For that same line of reasoning about filler episodes, I will also be skipping The Doctor's Daughter in season 4. (sorry David) I apologize in advance to anyone that liked that character, but seeing as she really hasn't been mentioned since that episode, I didn't feel she was important to my AU storyline. Now watch, now that I've said that, Capaldi's Doctor will probably mention her sometime this season. LOL!
Also, one of the scenes in this chapter was inspired by a clip in Army of Ghosts in which The Doctor and Rose are running along hand in hand, and laughing while looking over their shoulders.
Chapter 7 - Hello Stranger
Rose had been watching The Doctor stare off into space from his position on the jumpseat for over five minutes now. His usual manic energy had been sparse as of late and she was starting to get a little worried.
"Doctor," she called out. He turned his head towards her; finally noticing her presence in the room and plastered a smile on his face that didn't quite meet his eyes. She sighed and walked over to sit beside him; taking his hand in hers. "So, I noticed we've been floatin' about in the vortex for almost two weeks now. You gonna tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing." he brushed off the question. "The TARDIS needed some routine maintenance and I thought you could do with some rest."
It was an outright lie and she knew it. He was giving her that same look he always gave her whenever he claimed to be 'always alright' and she bit back her urge to call him on it. She couldn't keep having this same argument with him when she knew he wasn't going to give her a real answer. Although their relationship had already progressed so deeply, he still had trouble opening up to her about certain things. She could only hope that in time, if she remained patient, he would eventually break down those final walls.
"Fine, but I think I've had my fill of rest, yeah? So if you're not ready for another adventure right away, I did promise mum I would help her pack up Mickey's flat."
"Right." The Doctor began rubbing the back of his neck. "Forgot about that. Okay." He hopped to his feet and began setting the coordinates. "2007, Powell Estates. London, Earth. Let's say a couple days after our last visit?" He looked to her for confirmation.
Rose nodded "Yeah, that should be fine."
"You sure you're up for this?" The Doctor looked at her pointedly. "You can always wait a little bit longer if you need to." He gestured around the room with his finger. "Time Machine, remember."
Rose gave him a soft smile. "Really, S' fine. I can't keep puttin' it off and S' gonna be hard for me no matter when I do it. Might as well get it over with."
"Coordinates are set then." He walked over and pulled her up from the jumpseat and into his arms. "You want me to come with?"
"No." she shook her head. "Me and Mum can handle it. S' somethin' the two of us jus' need to do alone."
"Well, I've got plenty around here to tinker with anyway so I should be fine on my own for a bit."
She smiled up at him. "Jus' don't go messin' with anymore of the appliances while M' gone. The TARDIS is still upset at you for almost burnin' down the kitchen when you tried to upgrade the microwave." The TARDIS gave a small hum of agreement and The Doctor scowled.
"I'll have you know that upgrade was practical." he said in attempt to mount a defense. "I was trying to raise the cooking temperature to oven standards."
"But we already have an oven."
"Yes, but this would have cooked things at the temperature of an oven at half the time." he argued.
"And yet, all it managed to do was set the kitchen on fire." she countered trying to hold back her laughter.
"Simple trial and error."
"Mmhmm." she grinned, pulling him into a kiss.
"I was thinking," He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin atop her head. "I know cleaning out Mickey's place is going to be difficult for you and there's probably going to be a lot of stuff to go through, but his room is still here you know. So if you want, instead of having to make decisions on what to keep and not to keep, you could always just box it all up and store it here. If that would make it easier on you, I mean." Looking back down at her he noticed her eyes were shining and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Rose?" He reached up and brushed it away with his thumb.
"I jus'…" She shook her head and then tugged him down towards her to kiss him again. Pulling back, she rested her forehead against his and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you." she whispered.
-oOo-
"Have you at least been gettin' some rest in between all that runnin' around?" Jackie asked her daughter as she pulled the last glass from the kitchen cupboard and wrapped it in newspaper.
"Yeah." Rose was pulling video games from the entertainment center and placing them in a large cardboard box. "Almost too much actually."
"Whadd'ya mean?" her mother inquired.
"Well, so far we've spent about two weeks jus' hangin' out in the TARDIS."
"Two weeks? But I jus' saw the pair of ya a couple days ago. How long you really been gone?"
"Hmmm," Rose paused trying to calculate in her head. "I'd say three weeks, maybe four."
Jackie huffed. "Time travel. S' still so confusin'. I wouldn't be surprised if you and him had been together for a lot longer than I thought. Although you probably wouldn't tell me."
"Mum, don't start." Rose rolled her eyes as she moved on to packing the DVD's.
"M' jus' sayin' that I hope when you have the baby you won't wait so long between visits that she'll already be of votin' age before I see her again."
Rose sighed and stood up. Walking into the kitchen she stepped up to her mother and gave her a hug. "You know I wouldn't do that to you."
"But you could still be gone years at a time and I would only think a couple of days had passed." Jackie protested.
"Well, that may be true, but I promise we'll try to make regular visits, yeah?" she assured her. "'Cause it would be a crime for her to not be able to be spoiled by her Gran."
Jackie laughed. "I still can't believe M' gonna be a Gran."
"Yeah, well you better get used to it." Rose laughed as well and then glanced around the kitchen. "Looks like you've pretty much got everythin' packed in here."
Her mother finished taping the last box shut. "Still need to clear out the fridge though." They both winced. "Better get it over with."
Standing in front of the small refrigerator, the two women shared a look of trepidation.
"Ready?" Rose asked and Jackie nodded.
They counted to three and then Rose opened the door.
-oOo-
"I swear, I don't think that boy ever did much cookin'." Jackie said once they had returned from the dumpster. "How long you reckon' those take out boxes were in there."
"Long enough for the plant life they sprouted to practically crawl out of the fridge on their own." Rose replied with a grimace. "I thought I was well past my mornin' sickness but that smell almost brought it back."
They had moved on to Mickey's room and Jackie was now pulling clothes from the closet and folding them into piles on the bed while Rose removed photos from the wall.
"So have you started havin' any cravings yet?"
Rose was smiling at the various photos of UFO's that adorned the walls as well as hand drawn pictures of the TARDIS. "Sorry, what?" she replied looking back at her mother.
"I said, have you had any cravings yet?" she asked, placing another shirt in the pile.
"Not really. Although, since the pregnancy's a bit longer than normal The Doctor said some of those experiences may not occur till about the third month."
"Jus' so you know, there will probably be plenty of things that you love now but won't be able to stand later and things you absolutely hate that you'll suddenly want. You know how much I dislike green olives but when I was pregnant with you, I would eat jars of those things. Oh, and I couldn't stand your dad's aftershave. I got nauseous every time I smelled it. Drove him barmy it did 'cause it was his favorite brand. Wouldn't let him use it while I was in the flat and refused to let him near me unless he'd washed off the scent completely."
Rose laughed. "Well so far, the only smell that's made me feel sick was that vegetation we removed from Mickey's fridge."
Jackie joined in on her daughter's laughter as she placed several pairs of tennis shoes in a box. "Well the main thing is jus' make sure you stay away from alcohol and caffeine. Alien or not, S' bad for the baby."
Rose nodded as she unpinned a large poster of an astronaut and began to roll it up. The Doctor had located a few books on Gallifreyan pregnancies in the TARDIS library so she already had some information about what to expect, but she really enjoyed having this time to talk with her mother to allow her to impart her own wisdom and experiences on the subject.
"And don't forget, your hormones will probably be all over the place most of the time." Jackie continued. "S' to be expected. You'll get mad a little easier, you'll cry over the littlest things and of course there's the added sex drive."
"Mum," Rose admonished softly, definitely not wanting to drift into that topic with her.
"What?" she shrugged. "S' true. Besides, I suspect you've already experienced that part considerin' your appearance when you two showed up for breakfast the other day."
Rose almost dropped the box of photos she was holding and then quickly set it down on the bed. Blushing bright red, she attempted to think of some way to change the subject when her mother did it for her.
"So you're jus' gonna store all this stuff in that box of his then?"
"Yeah," Rose nodded. "The TARDIS kept Mickey's room so The Doctor said we can store all this stuff in there until M' ready to go through it."
"That's nice of him." Jackie murmured. "And M' glad that those two were able to put aside their differences. I know things were tense for a while when you first left, but I think Mickey really grew to respect The Doctor."
"Yeah he did." Rose said softly. "And even though he wouldn't admit it, The Doctor respected him too. I think he even misses him."
Jackie smiled as she reached over and picked up a photo frame from Mickey's computer desk. "The last couple of days I kept expectin' him to come bargin' into the flat and raidin' the fridge like he used to." she said sadly.
Rose put her head on her mother's shoulder as she looked down at the picture in her hand. It was taken the previous Christmas right after the Sycorax had been defeated. The four of them were standing in front of the TARDIS. She had one arm around Mickey and the other around The Doctor; who had his other arm around Jackie and they were all grinning happily.
"I know, I miss him too." Rose wiped away a tear.
The two women turned to one another and embraced for a moment. Finally Jackie pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Alright, enough of that now." she shook her head. "We're almost done in here and then we jus' have one room left."
Rose groaned. "Oh can't we jus' leave it? Put up his 'Closed' sign on the door and tape it shut?"
"Rose, M' sure the bathroom isn't that bad." Her mother chided as she pushed past her into the small lavatory.
It took about ten seconds; Rose counted, before Jackie came back out into the bedroom. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as she watched her mother pick up the tape gun.
"Alright, where'd you put that sign?"
-oOo-
The Doctor had attempted some tinkering on the time rotor, he really had but his hearts just weren't in it. Instead he sat, replaying his earlier conversation with Rose over and over again in his mind. The truth was the events on Krop Tor had affected him more than he was willing to let on. He was lucky, he knew that much. Jumping into that pit had been a huge risk but at the time he didn't have any other real choice and he wasn't just going to sit idly by as he suffocated through his last few regenerations. He was starting to feel fluctuations in the timeline again and it was beginning to unnerve him. The possible future in which he could lose Rose was nearing and he could feel it; the warnings his daughter had given him looming in his mind. He knew Rose was starting to sense that something was wrong but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. After losing Mickey and then almost losing him to the beast, she didn't need the extra stress on top of the pregnancy. The sound of the console phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts and he reached over to pick it up.
"Hello beautiful." he smiled into the receiver.
"Hey you." Rose giggled softly.
"All done then?"
"Yeah." she sighed warily. "Looks like we've got everythin' packed up."
"Alright," He began starting the dematerialization sequence. "Give me a minute and I'll land the TARDIS inside the flat so we can move the boxes on board."
"Okay." she agreed and ended the call.
About a minute later the sound of the TARDIS's engines filled the flat. The two women stood near the kitchen as they watched the big blue box materialize within the living room.
The doors opened and The Doctor poked his head out, looking around. When his gaze settled on Rose and Jackie he grinned. "Someone call for a mover?"
-oOo-
Once all of the boxes had been loaded, the TARDIS quickly transferred them to Mickey's old room for storage. The Doctor gave Jackie a hug but remained inside while Rose walked her out and said her own goodbyes, promising to visit again soon. When she came back through the doors he was already at the console setting the coordinates for their next destination.
"You know," The Doctor met her at the top of the ramp and pulled her against him. "The TARDIS could use a bit of refueling and you need to eat something as well, so I figured we could stop off at the rift in Cardiff for a bit and maybe grab some chips for dinner. What do you say?"
"I say you're too good to me." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "And chips sound heavenly."
He grinned right back and leaned down to kiss her soundly.
Rose groaned softly as she pulled away. "M' feelin' a little bit icky though from all the packin'. M' jus' gonna go grab a quick shower and change." She gave him another quick kiss and headed down the corridor.
After a soothing shower, she quickly blow-dried her hair and put on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Since the temperature in Cardiff would no doubt be a little cooler during the evening, she grabbed her black hooded jacket as well and slipped it on before re-joining The Doctor.
He was just slipping his arms into the sleeves of his long brown coat when she entered the room. Smiling, he adjusted the collar and then held out his hand wiggling his fingers. "We're here. Ready to go?"
"Yep." She returned his smile; popping the 'P' and slipped her hand into his as he led them to the door.
-oOo-
Oh, but these are gorgeous." Rose moaned as she bit into a chip, the salt and vinegar flavor exploding over her tongue.
The Doctor was watching her with rapt attention, his mouth slightly ajar and his adam's apple bobbing visibly.
The chippy hadn't been too crowded that evening so he was able to get them a nice booth towards the back of the room for more privacy. When he returned with their order a few minutes later she immediately tucked into her food, making noises that could be considered to some as quite obscene.
"What?" she inquired innocently when she noticed him staring.
"You keep that up, I'm going to have to drag you back to the TARDIS and have my way with you." he whispered huskily.
"Promise?" she grinned; tongue in teeth as she reached for another chip.
The Doctor's eyes darkened slightly and he raised an eyebrow as he leaned closer. "You, Miss Tyler, are incorrigible."
"I can't help it." Rose giggled, popping the chip in her mouth. "These are fantastic." She chewed thoughtfully. "Maybe M' startin' to have those cravings that mum was talkin' about. "Cause these taste better than they ever have before."
"Guess that means I'll have to make sure the TARDIS kitchen is fully stocked for all the weird concoctions you'll be requesting soon."
"Oi!" She slapped his arm playfully. "Jus' 'cause M' havin' cravings doesn't automatically mean M' gonna start eatin' anything weird."
"You could though. It's a perfectly normal effect of pregnancy." He speared a chip with his fork and held it up as if studying it. "The theory is that cravings are the body's way of getting a specific nutrient it needs, like calcium or protein and then it's all pretty much left up to your taste buds to decide what you want. Since your hormone levels are heightened, both your senses of taste and smell can be easily altered and therefore it's possible that you might just crave a mixture of strange things all at once. In fact, did you know that on Marpesia, during pregnancy the female species would mix raw…"
"Doctor," Rose interrupted quickly.
"Hmm?" His gaze drifted from his fork back to her.
"Think very carefully. Is this story gonna have an effect on my appetite?"
He paused, contemplating and then cleared his throat. "So, did you have fun with your mother today?"
Rose chuckled and popped another chip in her mouth as she began to regale him with tales of the 'Evil Plant Monster' they pulled from Mickey's fridge and the bathroom that Jackie declared a lost cause. By the end of her story they were both laughing so hard that one of the employees had to politely ask that they try to keep the noise down.
Once they had managed to regain their composure and finish dinner, The Doctor disposed of their trash in the receptacle and suggested a leisurely stroll. They walked hand in hand perusing several of the shops that lined the street. The Doctor stopped short as they passed a toy store and with a huge grin, quickly pulled Rose inside.
It had been a long time since she had been in one and she couldn't help but smile at the way The Doctor was bouncing from aisle to aisle in awe of the various toys that lined the shelves. Slipping on his glasses he picked up a deluxe model kit of a castle and studied the contents.
"What made you want to come in here?" she asked as she rested her chin on his shoulder and looked down at the box in his hands.
"I thought you might like to start shopping for some baby stuff." He placed the box back on the shelf and turned to her with a questionable look on his face. "Too soon?"
Giggling softly she took his hands in hers and smiled up at him. "Not at all. S' very sweet of you actually."
The Doctor grinned as he leaned down to kiss her but his gaze was suddenly diverted over her shoulder and his eyes widened. "Oh, look Rose. Remote control cars!" he exclaimed excitedly as he pulled her across the room.
While The Doctor occupied himself by looking over the various RC vehicles on display, Rose made her way over to the 'pinker' section of the store. She didn't know if it was the hormones talking or maybe just because she knew she was having a little girl, but everything she looked at just seemed so…adorable. She had just picked up a cuddly looking stuffed brown bear and was adjusting the bow around its neck when something breezed past her head, blowing the hair back from her face.
"Check it out Rose." The Doctor boasted excitedly as he came around the corner with a controller in his hands. "The original settings on this thing were rubbish but with a few modifications from the ol' sonic screwdriver, I was able to recalibrate the helicopter's speed and velocity to give better trajectory for a more accurate flight simulation."
"Um, are you sure that was a good idea?" She watched as the helicopter narrowly missed sideswiping the 'SALE' sign hanging from the ceiling. "I mean, won't the store people be upset when their toys start explodin' all over the place?"
The Doctor scowled. "You blow up one microwave…"
"And mum's toaster oven." she added.
"It's not going to explode." he sniffed and raised his chin defiantly. "I just fixed it so that it would fly more accurately."
The helicopter, however, seemed to have its own ideas regarding accuracy as the next sweep across the room sent it straight into one of the lesser filled shelves which collapsed and fell backwards creating a domino effect on the other three shelves behind it.
"Oi!" The store manager shouted as he ran out from behind the front register. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Rose?"
"Yes Doctor?"
"Run." With a grin, The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and tossed the controller behind him as they headed towards the door.
They could hear the manager calling out for security as they quickly made their exit and took off back in the direction of the TARDIS. Hand in hand, they ran along the sidewalk; laughing and dodging the other evening shoppers.
"I think we lost them." Rose managed to get out amidst her giggling.
They confirmed her statement with a quick glance over their shoulders and as they looked back at one another, their grins grew equally broader. The Doctor gave a slight bounce to his gait which just made her laugh even harder as they continued on down the street. Once they had rounded the next corner they stopped to catch their breath; the combination of running and laughing at the same time finally catching up with them. When they were positive the 'toy police' were not going to show up and haul them off to jail for the night, they returned to a leisurely pace as they made their way back to the TARDIS.
"S' such a beautiful night." Rose mused as they stopped to look out over Cardiff bay. Turning to The Doctor she slid her hands up his chest and then encircled her arms around his neck. "I had fun tonight. Even though we were almost arrested again." He laughed and she gave him a tongue in tooth smile. "But seriously though, this has been a wonderful evenin'. Thank you."
The Doctor smiled and wrapped his own arms around her waist pulling her flush against him. "You're welcome." he whispered as he leaned in to nuzzle her nose.
They stood for a moment, staring into one another's eyes and enjoying the warmth of their embrace in contrast to the cool night air before his mouth finally descended upon hers; punctuating their perfect evening. The kiss was tender and yet passionate at the same time as they poured their love into one another without words.
"Well I never thought I'd live to see the day." A familiar American accent called out, breaking them out of their intimate moment. "Well technically, I didn't."
The pair stared at the figure before them in stunned silence for a moment before Rose finally found her voice. "Oh my god," she breathed out. "Jack?"
"Hello Stranger." he grinned; holding out his arms.
Letting go of The Doctor, Rose ran over to Jack and wrapped her arms around his waist as he engulfed her in a bear hug. "I can't believe you're here. I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, Rosie." He kissed the top of her head before glancing up at the Time Lord who stood silently; watching the two friends embrace. "Doctor." he nodded in greeting.
"Captain." The Doctor nodded back.
"You look good." Jack gave him an appreciative once over.
"And you, same as ever. Although," The Doctor squinted and tilted his head slightly. "Have you had some work done?"
Rose bit down on her bottom lip to stifle a giggle as Jack raised an eyebrow in slight offense.
"You can talk." The Captain fired back.
The Time Lord blinked in confusion for a moment and then his eyebrows shot up in realization. "Oh, right." he nodded. "New face from the regeneration." He cocked his head. "How'd you know it was me?"
"Well for one thing, I always knew Rosie here would never settle for anyone but you so she wouldn't be out here snogging some random guy." Jack looked down at Rose who was now blushing. "And I also happen to have a special Doctor detector that lets me know when you're nearby. Plus," he gestured behind him with his thumb. "That big blue box over there was a dead giveaway."
The Doctor nodded again, and reached out for Rose; pulling her back to his side and wrapping his arms around her waist. Jack allowed a small grin as he remembered how possessive the first Doctor had been when he traveled with them. Apparently this one wasn't that much different.
"I was just heading out for a drink." The Captain continued. "Why don't the two of you join me? My treat."
Rose looked up at The Doctor with pleading eyes as she rested her chin against his chest.
"Oh, alright." he sighed in defeat and she gave him another one of her signature smiles. "But then we're getting you home and into bed." He looked up to see Jack grinning like a loon. "What?"
"Nothing." Jack held his hands up in defense. "Come on you two. I know a great place, not far from here."
Rose slipped her hand back into The Doctor's. "Lead the way Captain." she smiled and the trio headed off down the street.
-oOo-
"I just have to say, it's about damn time." Jack told the pair as he opened the door to the Buffalo Bar. "In fact, I think this calls for a celebration of sorts. Maybe some champagne, what do you think?"
"Um," Rose looked up at The Doctor and he nodded with a small grin. "I can't Jack."
The Captain turned back to face her. "But I thought you loved champagne." he replied confusedly.
"I do, yeah. S' jus'…" she paused and with one more reassuring look from The Doctor she continued. "Alcohol would hurt the baby."
Jack's jaw dropped as he glanced between the pair with wide eyes. "You're…" he let out the breath he took when he heard her say 'baby'. "You're pregnant?"
Rose and The Doctor nodded simultaneously; the grins adorning their faces giving more proof that not only was it true, but they were ecstatic about it.
"Oh, Yes!" Jack shouted enveloping Rose in another hug and then releasing her to do the same to The Doctor.
Rose giggled as she watched the two men practically dancing on the spot as they embraced.
"Alright you two." she tried to calm her laughter as she tapped them on the shoulders. "People are startin' to stare."
The two men exchanged an awkward look and then The Doctor cleared his throat, taking Rose's hand. "So, drinks then?"
"Right." The Captain nodded as they headed over to a small booth. "The usual Doc, or have your taste buds changed too?"
"Whatever's on tap is fine." The Doctor chuckled.
"What about you Rosie? Lemonade, sparkling water, tea?"
"I really want an ice cream float." she replied dreamily and licked her lips.
"Um," Jack squinted as he tried to hide a smile. "I don't think they have those here."
"Oh." she frowned.
"I promise we'll make you one when we get back to the TARDIS." The Doctor assured her as he kissed the pout from her lips.
"Okay," her smile returned. "I guess lemonade's fine."
Jack was smirking at the pair when she turned back towards him. "The two of you are so adorable." he laughed as he signaled the waiter to take their order.
Their conversation mainly consisted of reminiscing about their early travels. Rose had forgotten just how many of those adventures somehow involved Jack being naked. The Doctor hadn't so much forgotten as he had tried to pretend it never happened. He attempted to change the subject each time, but finally realized he couldn't actually think of a time in which the Captain didn't lose his clothes and promptly gave up. Rose told Jack about their trips to New Earth and their encounter with Queen Victoria and the werewolf but when she attempted to ask him why he chose to stay behind on the gamestation instead of traveling with them, his demeanor briefly shifted to one of slight irritability and brought a hint of sadness to his eyes. She could have sworn she saw his gaze flick over to The Doctor for a second but then he plastered on one of his; as she called it "toothpaste commercial smiles" and brushed off the topic with a couple of vague answers about work that needed to be done before changing the topic to his move from the time agency to heading up Torchwood Three there in Cardiff. Rose could once again tell that another one of the important men in her life was being less than honest and made a mental note to try to coax the truth out of him later.
The Doctor in the meantime had been pondering the name of Jack's new institution. "Torchwood," he murmured. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Well, for the most part we basically just monitor and police alien activity around the rift. Although we have occasionally worked with Unit. Maybe they mentioned us in passing." Jack offered.
The Time Lord still couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that name brought to him.
"Anyway, enough about me." Jack continued. "What I want to know is how this happened." he gestured between the two.
The Doctor was currently sitting with his arm wrapped around Rose's shoulder while her hand rested on his knee.
"Specifically the how you came to be pregnant part." Jack pointed at Rose's stomach. "And uh, don't spare the details." he added, wagging his eyebrows.
"Oh, don't start." moaned The Doctor.
"What?" Jack crossed his arms. "Oh come on. You can't expect me to not want details after all those months of the two of you dancing around one another with all that pent up sexual tension. Hell, because of the two of you, I needed cold showers every day."
"We were not…" The Doctor started to protest. "I mean, there was no…"
"Are you kidding me?" Jack interrupted. "Mr. 'I'm too afraid to make a move, but if you so much as smile at her the wrong way, I'll chuck you out an airlock'."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow as Jack gave him a defiant look that said 'argue with that'.
Rose glanced between the pair and chuckled softly as she shook her head. "As much as M' enjoin' watchin' the two of you bicker like a couple of old ladies, I need to make a quick trip to the loo." She leaned over to give The Doctor a kiss. "Back in a mo'." As she stood up, she turned to face them once more and pointed to each of them in turn. "Try to behave yourselves while M' gone, yeah?"
The two men nodded with sheepish grins and waited until she was a good distance away to start the conversation they both knew would happen as soon as they met up again.
"I've been looking for the two of you for a long time you know." Jack clasped his hands together and leaned forward slightly focusing on The Doctor. "You abandoned me." His words were bitter, but also pained.
"Yeah, I did." he agreed, meeting The Captain's eyes.
"I take it you also know what's wrong with me then?" The Time Lord nodded in verification and Jack pursed his lips. "How long have you known?"
The Doctor shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Ever since I ran away from you." he looked away. "I can't help it Jack, you're just…wrong. You're a fixed point in time and space. I'm a Time Lord so just being around you makes me kind of...ill. No offense."
"Right, thanks." Jack replied sarcastically and then looked down at his hands for a moment. "So then, what happened to me?"
"What do you remember?"
"I was facing down three Daleks and then…" he shuddered. "Death by extermination. But then suddenly I was alive again." The Captain shook his head. "How?"
The Doctor took a breath and looked back at his friend. "Rose."
"I thought you sent her home?"
"She came back. She opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the entire vortex. No one was ever meant to have that power. If a Time Lord did that they'd become a god; a vengeful god." The Doctor ran a hand over his face and then sat back, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at the table. "But she's human, so full of passion and love. She destroyed the entire Dalek fleet and put an end to the time war...just to save me." His eyes flicked back up to meet Jack's. "And she brought you back to life." The Captain swallowed roughly. "But she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever." he sighed, tugging on his ear. "I never told her any of this."
"I figured as much, considering her reaction to seeing me." Jack replied irritably. "Can she change me back?"
The Doctor shook his head. "I took the power from her. It's why I regenerated."
Jack's eyes widened. "Does she know that's why you changed?"
"No." he replied quietly.
"Because you think she'll blame herself for killing you." The Captain nodded in understanding. "Look, I'm not expecting you to tell her about me, that can come later but you need to tell her why you regenerated. She deserves to know. You have a baby coming now and the last thing you need is secrets between the two of you." Jack stared at him pointedly.
The Doctor was silent for a moment. "I shouldn't have left you there Jack." he said sincerely. "I'm sorry."
Their eyes met, and Jack could see the regret in the Time Lord's deep brown orbs, making his anger dissipate rapidly.
"Everythin' okay?" Rose's voice cut through the silence, startling the pair who hadn't noticed her return. She was looking between them worriedly as she waited for a response.
"Everything's fine." The Doctor reassured her as he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I was just telling the Doc here that if he wouldn't give me the juicy details about your budding romance, then I would just have to charm them out of you over lunch one of these days." He gave her his signature wink and The Doctor groaned and rolled his eyes.
Rose was still sensing a bit of tension but since they were both keeping the details of their real conversation to themselves, she decided not to pry further for the time being. Sitting back down, she leaned her head against The Doctor's shoulder and tried to stifle a yawn but he noticed anyway.
"It's getting late and we should get you home."
"But we just found Jack again." she whined softly. "There's still a lot of catchin' up to do."
"Don't worry Rosie." Jack smiled as they stood up from the table and headed out the door and into the night. "We'll get together again soon." As he wrapped his arms around her, he lowered his voice. "I told you I wanted details remember?"
Rose giggled as she hugged her friend tightly. "Can't wait. I really did miss you Jack."
"Missed you too." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she stepped away to allow the two men to say to goodbye to one another."
The Doctor held out his hand and Jack stared at it for a moment. He shook his head and smirked before pulling the other man into a hug. "I forgive you Doc." he whispered in the Time Lord's ear.
The Doctor smiled and patted The Captain on the back. "About what you said," he spoke quietly. "You're right, she needs to know. No more secrets. I'm going to tell her everything tonight."
Jack pulled back and met his eyes. "Make sure she knows that neither of us blames her for what happened."
"I will." The Doctor nodded and stepped back to take Rose's hand.
"Don't be strangers." Jack pointed between the pair with a grin and then turned to head back towards the Hub. "Oh, and Rose?" he called back over his shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say thank you and if you need to talk later, call me." He held his hand up to his ear in the universal gesture for telephone.
Rose looked back at The Doctor in confusion.
"Come on," he tugged her towards the TARDIS. "Let's go home."
-oOo-
The walk back to the TARDIS was quiet, a huge change from the happy demeanor the two shared earlier in the evening. Rose kept casting sideways glances at The Doctor but he seemed to be too lost in thought to notice. As they stepped through the door, he released her hand and made his way over to the console to send them into the vortex.
Rose knew something was going on and she needed to get to the bottom of it. Preferably without starting a fight. She stood contemplating as she chewed her bottom lip and then finally she spoke. "S' strange."
"Hmm?" The Doctor replied absentmindedly as he began the dematerialization sequence."
"Somethin' Jack said earlier. When he said that he never thought he'd live to see the day, that technically he didn't." she paused as his eyes finally met hers. "What did he mean?"
He shrugged. "You know Jack likes to joke around."
"Yeah, and I also know the two of you seemed to be havin' some sort a' serious discussion back at the bar and then you both clammed up the minute I came back to the table."
The Doctor swallowed and began tugging his ear. He promised Jack earlier he was going to tell her and he was, but he had no idea where to begin. Luckily, she picked the starting point for him.
"What happened between the two of you on Satellite 5?"
He walked across the room and took her hand in his, leading her over to the jumpseat.
"How much about that day do you remember?" he asked as they sat down facing one another.
"Bits and pieces. I remember tryin' to get back to you. Mickey helped me open the heart of the TARDIS and there was this beautiful melody." She could almost still hear it in the back of her mind. "Then I woke up on the floor, you made a joke about singin' to the Daleks and makin' them run away and then…" she took a breath. "You exploded right in front of me."
He nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't prepare you for that."
"S' okay." She squeezed his hand. "You're still you, no matter what form you're in and it doesn't change how I feel."
The Doctor smiled softly and placed his other hand over the one currently entwined with hers. "Rose, there are things I haven't told you, but you need to know…"
"So tell me then." she cut him off mirroring his action with her other hand.
He looked down for a moment and then brought his eyes back to hers. "When you looked into the TARDIS's heart, you absorbed the entire time vortex and you became a sort of…goddess."
Rose snorted softly and gave a half smile. "Me, a goddess?"
"Yes." he replied sincerely. "Do you remember the phrase 'Bad Wolf', the one that followed us everywhere?" she nodded. "It turns out that you were the Bad Wolf all along. You sent those words to us as a…well, as sort of a warning."
She shook her head in confusion. "A warnin' for what?"
"You said that you had created yourself. You used those words as a message to lead you back to me."
"So I…I'm really the Bad Wolf?" she stammered.
A memory flashed through her mind. 'I take the words; I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here.' She attempted to shake off the image as another one formed. Deep in the dungeons of Queen Victoria's estate, the dark eyes of the werewolf bored into her soul. 'There's something of the wolf about you.' Rose was so focused on the image; she almost missed what The Doctor said next.
"You destroyed the entire Dalek fleet. You turned them to dust…for me."
"But how?" her mouth dropped open. "I don't…"
Another flash and she closed her eyes. 'I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them.' The Daleks were disintegrating and their leader was screaming in defiance. The memories were coming faster now, as if the door that had been leaking them was yanked wide open.
"Jack had taken a group of volunteers to the lower levels to buy me some time, but they…" The Doctor swallowed roughly and she opened her eyes to meet his. "None of them made it, and Jack was killed when the Daleks breached the last floor. You brought him back to life."
'I bring life'. The memory made her gasp and jerk her hands away. "But, if I brought him back…if you knew he was alive, why did you jus' leave him there." she asked; her voice wavering.
The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "I had to Rose, I was on the verge of regenerating and I needed to make sure you were safe."
"But we could a' gone back for him. You said he was fine, that he was rebuildin' the station." she shook her head and crossed her arms. "But you jus' abandoned him didn't you?"
"Yes." Rose's eyebrows shot up at the abrupt honesty of his statement and he sighed before continuing. "I left him because he was changed Rose. He feels…wrong now."
"What are you on about?" she stared at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
"The power you used to bring him back," he explained. "You couldn't control it and it made him immortal. He's a fixed point in time now. For a Time Lord, it's like having a continuous migraine just from looking at him."
Rose felt her stomach churn slightly. "So I made him immortal and now…what, he'll live forever?"
"Most likely, yes." he nodded. "From what he's told me, he can still be killed, but he always comes back."
"Comes back? How many times has he died?"
"Rose," he said softly.
"How many?" her voice increased in pitch.
"I don't know."
Rose bit her bottom lip, attempting to hold back the tears that were now forming behind her eyes. "I can't believe I..." Her voice trailed off as her mind started racing.
It was all starting to make sense. The strange dreams that she could never remember fully when she woke up. Why she had always felt connected to those two words that followed them around, why everyone they met with some sort of clairvoyance likened her to a wolf and how she was able to recognize their future daughter, because she had seen it when she joined with the TARDIS. But if she destroyed the Daleks and resurrected Jack, what else did she do while under the influence of the Bad Wolf?
"What else did I do?"
The Doctor's anxiety rose another notch. He had hoped she would at least take a few moments to absorb the information before he told her the rest, but she was determined to get answers.
"What else Doctor?" Rose asked again as he finally gave her back his attention. "You said I stopped the Daleks, yeah? So then what happened to you? Did they hurt you before I got there?"
"No." His voice was quieter now and he took her hands once more in an attempt to keep her calm. "The power you took from the vortex was killing you and it had to be removed."
"No," she whispered, shaking her head at the thought that now presented itself; unbidden to her mind. "No."
"You were dying Rose."
The memory that hit her then was the most vivid of them all. She could see everything. The timelines before her; golden strands twisting and turning, coming together and entwining all around her and then pain. 'Why does it hurt?'
"No, no, no." She tried to pull her hands away again as the floodgates began to open, but he refused to let her go.
"So, I kissed you and I absorbed it instead..."
"Oh god!" she began to hyperventilate. 'I think you need a Doctor'. Piercing blue eyes staring into hers and then the pain was gone.
"Rose, please. You have to calm down." He tried to hold her, but she pulled away again.
"Oh, M' gonna be sick." Her hands flew to her mouth as the tears streamed down her face. "I can't…" she shook her head. "I can't breathe, I have to…" she trailed off as she leapt up from the jumpseat and took off down the corridor.
The Doctor ran his hands through his hair as he dropped his head to his knees. He knew no matter when or how he told Rose, the reaction would always be like this and he hated himself for it. Standing up, he began pacing around the console and then slammed his fists down onto the control board. He had convinced himself that keeping the truth regarding his regeneration from her was for the best. He had wanted to spare her that pain because he knew she would blame herself. As he straightened himself back to a standing position, he shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned up against one of the coral struts. Seeing the look in her eyes when he told her what had happened shook him to his core. It was the same one he knew was in his own every time he couldn't save someone. At first he thought it might be best for her to have a little time to herself but after a couple of minutes he said the hell with it and set off down the corridor to find her. The last thing she needed was to be alone right now. He made his way through the halls, past the wardrobe, the pool and the library and walked up to the door that led to the garden. He paused to compose himself and then stepped inside.
-oOo-
The garden was lush and spacious, surrounded by vibrant green hedges that blended almost seamlessly with the soft green grass. Large majestic trees were placed sporadically throughout and the red and golden hues of the leaves; almost fall-like in nature, were a brilliant contrast against the powder blue sky that the TARDIS had replicated. Off in the distance sat a small white gazebo, the main portion was rounded in shape but the roof sloped upwards into a petite column-like structure with a window lit by a small lantern. Set in the center of the garden was a lavish Koi pond that stretched over a good seventy feet wide, complete with a three-tier fountain. On occasion, when Rose wanted a night-time theme, The TARDIS would replicate a clear starry sky and the water in the fountain would be illuminated by the colors of the rainbow as it jettisoned upwards before trickling back down into the pond below. Looking around, you would never believe you were really on a sentient spaceship.
Rose had been retreating here for as long as she could remember. Sometimes after a long day of running from monsters or whenever she and The Doctor had a particularly nasty row. But more often than not it was mainly just because the tranquility of the place gave her peace of mind. She was sitting on a small bench stationed directly in front of the pond watching the sunlight reflect off the jeweled bodies of the fish as they swam through the crystal clear water, and trying to collect her thoughts when she heard his voice.
"Thought I might find you here." The Doctor was standing next to the bench, staring down at her. "Can I sit?"
She nodded slowly, still not able to bring herself to look at him.
"Rose." The tenderness in his voice squeezed her heart painfully and another tear slipped down her cheek.
"I killed you." she spoke quietly, still staring straight ahead.
"You saved me." he argued, but she still wouldn't acknowledge him fully. "Rose, look at me." He reached up cupping her chin and turned her head towards him. The pain in her eyes made his breath catch in his throat.
Rose's lower lip quivered as she tried not to look away. "M' sorry. M' so sorry."
"No." he shook his head. "Don't apologize for that. If you hadn't come back for me, I wouldn't be here now." He cradled her face with both of his hands. "They wouldn't have allowed me to regenerate. I would have been gone…for good. So don't you ever apologize to me for that." He held her gaze for a moment, allowing her to read the sincerity in his eyes and then leaned in and kissed her softly.
When they broke apart, she buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her just as tightly, whispering soothing words in her ear until her sobs had finally tapered off.
"Does he hate me now?" she sniffed; her voice muffled against his suit jacket. "For what I did to him?"
"No. You gave him back his life and he's grateful for that."
"Do you?" she pulled back, needing to see his face.
"Do I what?" He looked at her questioningly.
"Hate me?" she finished meekly.
"Never, Rose." he replied firmly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I could Never hate you."
"I hurt you though, right after you changed." Rose stood up and walked towards the pond, folding her arms across her chest. "M' the one who caused your regeneration and then I selfishly asked if you could change back without even thinkin' about how you felt." she paused and lowered her head. "I hurt you and M' sorry."
Walking up behind her, The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "I wasn't angry at you for that. I'm the one who didn't tell you about the whole regeneration thing, remember? I'm the one who should be apologizing. And I may have been a little upset but that was mainly because I was afraid you wouldn't stay with me, even though I changed for you."
"Changed for me?" she repeated, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Yeah," his cheeks reddened as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Time Lords can sort of control their regenerations and I well…I focused on you." He gazed into her eyes. "Particularly on how I felt about you."
"Oh." She placed her hand on his chest, right between his hearts. "So when you said this body was created for me…"
"I meant in every way possible." He pulled her flush against him, causing her to release a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "I basically imprinted on you so that I could make myself your ideal mate." He nuzzled her nose with his own.
"You changed yourself for me?" she stared at him in awe.
"I wanted you to want me." he confessed. "At least, my hearts did, even though my mind warred with them for so long."
Rose smiled. "I wanted you before and I will always want you no matter what form you're in."
"You say that now, but what happens if I end up looking like I did in my first body?" he grimaced. "Now that one really showed my age."
Rose giggled softly. "This," looking into his eyes, she placed both her hands on his chest; one over each heart. "Is all that matters to me. This is who you really are."
The Doctor paused for a moment to take her in. The sunlight glinting off her blonde locks as they danced to the rhythm of the soft breeze. Her hazel eyes, so full of love and devotion and that amazing smile she gave only to him. Closing the distance between them, he captured her lips with his own.
"Are we okay?" he asked when she pulled back from the kiss for air. "I know I shouldn't have kept it from you but I knew you would try to blame yourself. I just didn't want you to have that pain, but then talking to Jack made me realize that I didn't want any more secrets between us either."
Rose nodded. "I want us to be honest with one another as well. I jus'…S' a lot to take in. What I did to you and to Jack, and I need to be able to talk to him about this too."
The Doctor brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You will, but not tonight."
"Doctor," Rose protested.
"No. You have had enough stress for one day and I think a nice relaxing bath would do us some good."
"You think so, huh?" she asked as she wound her arms around his neck once more.
"Oh, yes." he grinned. "But first, as I recall, you and I have an appointment with an ice cream soda." He pulled back from their embrace and offered her his arm. "What do you say; care to accompany me to the kitchen?"
"I'd love to." she smiled up at him and slipped her arm through his.