Chapter 6

Sitting in the lobby of the Torchwood medical facility, the Doctor stared at the bottle he'd just procured from the apothecary located in the Torchwood building. Inside the bottle was a one month supply of an antipsychotic which Harry Sullivan and Dr. Lauren Gentillini, the staff psychiatrist, felt would help the Doctor with what Dr. Gentillini diagnosed as a mild case of bipolar II disorder. The hybrid had to remain in Torchwood's medical ward for an additional seven days for observation – to insure that the medication was working as it should and that he was physically stable – before being allowed to leave as an outpatient for Dr. Gentillini.

The visits with Dr. Gentillini had been much more productive than the Doctor had thought it would be. Although talking to a psychiatrist hadn't helped his mood swings, it had allowed him to come to terms with feelings of abandonment he had towards the Time Lord, despite his understanding of the reasons for leaving him and Rose behind. As for the prescription of an antipsychotic rather than an antidepressant, which would have been normal for humans with bipolar II, they had discovered the Doctor had averse reactions to most common antidepressants. Dr. Gentillini felt that an antipsychotic would help stabilize his brain, thus allowing not only relief from symptoms of his disorder but also from the silence that was in his mind due to the TARDIS withdrawals.

While acknowledging that the drug was doing exactly as his two physicians had hoped – namely controlling his persistent mood swings and easing the silence – the Doctor still had his reservations about the pharmaceutical that had nothing to do with its benefits. He hadn't lied to Harry and Lauren when they'd asked about lethality, drug interaction, or allergic reactions to the drug but there was one side effect he didn't tell them about that was disconcerting to him. However, he'd been getting desperate to control his mood swings and the chances of the side effect were slim, especially with having been prescribed the lowest dosage and with him being half human. He still had to see Laurel on a regular basis to ensure that the dosage remained at an effective level.

With his disorder mostly under control and the silence no longer a concern, his mind was now regularly filled with a haze that would drive a full-blooded human insane eventually whereas, for a Time Lord, it was literally just background noise – the feelings of a thousand humans whispering in his head, little pinpoints of light in the distance whose emotions were almost like a song. The drug's effect on his mind revealed what the Doctor and Harry had come to suspect since he had arrived at Torchwood: that the hybrid was mildly telepathic, a trait inherited from his brother and diluted with his human half which allowed him also be slightly empathic. The drug removed the barriers that prevented his natural abilities from coming forward.

For the first time since he'd been separated from his time ship, the Doctor felt almost as he did before the Time Lord Doctor had left them on Darlïg ulv Stranden. While the noise in his mind didn't in any way replace what was once there – there was no replacing the unique resonance of his people and the TARDIS - it did calm him to the point where he was finally comfortable with himself. It would take time to get over feeling angry with himself for destroying the Daleks and to start feeling as if he was worthy of being with Rose, but he knew that he would with her help and he was ready to finally take on a new life in a new universe with the woman he loved with all of his single heart.

Even as he sat there, one of the pinpoints of light he could identify as another living creature grew brighter, telling him that it was coming closer to him. He instantly recognized the owner of those feelings, which were loving and happy.

"Hello, Rose," he greeted, his eyes still closed. Turning his head, he opened his brown orbs and looked up at her.

"Ready to go?" Rose questioned with a smile as she approached him. She had ensured that he had been properly checked out of the hospital and was clear to remain as an outpatient until both Harry and Lauren were satisfied with his progress.

His smile showed just how relieved he was to hear that particular question from her. "More than ready," he concurred. "If I never again see the inside of a hospital, it'll be too soon. Especially one that doesn't have a shop."

The woman who held his heart extended her hand and then squeezed his tightly. She was under no illusion that it would be easy for them to finally start their life together but she knew after the last two weeks of worrying about him – and thanks in no small part to the Time Lord giving her one last verbal kick in the butt – that she wanted to be with the man beside her, no matter what shape their relationship may take.

"Well, at least you got the assurance that I was right," Rose put in. Seeing the frown of confusion on his face, she clarified. "You are never going to go insane with me around."

A grin grew out of the frown. "Never ever," he replied, standing. "Come on," he instructed before launching out the front door and down the stairs, causing her to giggle like a schoolgirl in her successful attempt to catch up with him rather than be dragged.

It was only after they reached the parking lot when Rose took the lead, guiding him to her SUV and unlocking the doors. Waiting until he had taken his place in the passenger's seat, she took her own behind the wheel before turning her head to look at him. "So… now that you're a free man once again, is there any place you want to go before we go home?"

"Anywhere and everywhere, as long as it is with you," the hybrid replied with a loving gaze. He seemed to ponder his words for a moment. "Then again, I could do with something extraordinarily bad for me. I had nothing but healthy food for almost two weeks."

She smiled at his words. "I suppose you've earned a stop at a dessert bar." Starting the car, she pulled out of the parking space and then out of the lot before cautiously turning onto the main street that would lead them to their destination.

In the time he'd been in this universe, the Doctor had discovered a couple of things about this world in comparison to the Earth he had known for most of his previous Time Lord life. The first was that alcohol was illegal outside of pubs and restaurants, and hard liquor, like whiskey and vodka, was completely illegal thanks to a law passed after 9-11 in an attempt to curb alcoholism in the country while, at the same time, reduce trade with those countries who supported terrorism; the champagne that he and Rose had served at Jacqueline Tyler's "39th" birthday party had been non-alcoholic. That particular law, however, was about to be repealed thanks to a variety of changes in the global climate, including evidence that the ban was actually causing a rise in black market activities and thus in alcoholism; humans were more likely to drink alcohol if they believed they were getting away with something and being rebellious. To the Doctor, what was currently happening in this universe's England was very reminiscent of the other universe's United States during the last few years of prohibition.

The second was that this universe worked hard to reduce fat in all foods, thus making most food at least somewhat nutritious, even sweets depending on what you chose. The only sweets the Doctor had seen so far were from a grocer's and it didn't even seem like it was real sweets, just some sort of healthy substitute. Take-out still was probably the worst thing you could eat but it wasn't nearly as artery-clogging as in the original universe. With the government having strong controls over the food and drug industries, it became almost fashionable – as well as cost-saving – to be a health nut.

Fortunately for the Tyler family, Pete Tyler had his proverbial fingers in lots of different pies. Not only did his Vitex line continue to generate enormous amount of capital – it didn't hurt that his health drink tasted like pop – but he also had a whole line of healthy snacks as alternatives to the more expensive sweets, making Vitex products extremely popular with younger people.

Right at that moment, though, after two weeks of being "fresh," as the young people said on this world, the Doctor was desperate to be as un-fresh as possible without being completely offensive. So it was with great delight that he saw Rose pull into the lot of the dessert bar. He nearly had to restrain himself from jumping out of the vehicle like an overanxious child, eager for the rich decadence he knew to be inside the establishment.

The two entered the bar and were quickly escorted to a table where a waitress soon tended to them.

"Welcome to Afters. I'm Alison and I'll be your server today," the woman told them as she gave them each a menu. "Our menu is divided into three different categories. There's the Green, which is all government approved healthy alternatives that taste like the real thing. Then there's the Red, which goes to the very limit of recommended healthy intake. And lastly, there is the Black and those selections are extremely unhealthy. If you decide on any item on the Black list, you will have to sign a waiver acknowledging that Afters is not responsible for any side effects from your consuming those desserts, including medical issues due to unhealthy lifestyle. Can I start you with a drink to go with your treat?"

"Water, please," Rose requested. Seeing the Doctor just nod in agreement with her words, she repeated the order for him and then watched as the waitress left to retrieve their beverages.

"A waiver? Seriously?" he questioned with a frown.

"Surprised me too the first time I went to a nice restaurant, especially after buying a chocolate bar from a street vendor," Rose responded. "But if you go to a grocery store, you're only going to get the faux choc and street vendors only sell the half-and-halves." Seeing the confusion on his face, she clarified. "Fake chocolate or half real, half healthy alternative. The big difference between what you buy in a store or at a street vendor is the quality of the sweet. As for waivers for the real stuff, it's common practice in restaurants. After the rash of lawsuits against the food industry blaming them for weight gain, diabetes, et cetera, you can't really blame them. Most people don't want to bother with the waiver so they'll order something off of the more acceptable menus. Plus real sweets are expensive." She gave him a broad grin. "I sign the waiver every time."

"Good for you," he complimented. "Stick it to the man. Show him you have the right to eat whatever you want."

She giggled slightly at his reply just as their water was served. The moment the waitress left, Rose focused on the menu in her hand. "I don't know why I bother looking at the menu. I get the same thing every time."

"And that would be?"

"The Chocolate Strawberry Decadence," she told him.

The Doctor read the description of the dessert. "Looks good to me. Make it two?"

She nodded in agreement and when the waitress returned, they ordered their treat and signed the appropriate waivers. Once the waitress had gone to fulfill their orders, the couple once again focused on each other.

"I was thinking…" Rose started.

"A dangerous occupation for anyone," the Doctor put in with a grin.

"Shut up," she told him with a smile laugh. "I think that we should go and get a few things. Right now, the only thing you have are the clothes on your back and a pair of sunglasses."

"I have some clothes, thanks to Jackie," he contradicted. "Couple sets of underwear and a shirt."

"That's not enough to start a life on," she told him bluntly. "And we're going to have to arrange some identification for you. A whole history, in fact, just like Dad did for Mum and me." Seeing the questioning look on the Doctor's face, she clarified. "Jacqueline was pregnant around the same time Mum was but she miscarried which is why I was never born in this universe. When I came here after…" She hesitated a moment, the memory of the Battle of Canary Wharf coming to her mind. Seeing the lost look in her eyes, the Doctor reached over and squeezed her hand, the action reassuring her that he was with her now and encouraging her to continue. "Anyway, Dad changed the medical records so that they showed a live birth and put out a story that I had been kidnapped from the hospital and that, when I came to adulthood and discovered that the people I had thought were my parents had actually stolen me, I went on a hunt for my real parents."

He seemed to think about her words for a moment. "That actually makes sense. Then you wouldn't have to lie about your life except for the names of your unreal parents and no one would think otherwise about it."

"Well, there is the occasional tabloid that says that I'm Dad's love child from an affair but we quickly put those down," Rose told him. "As for the kidnappers, the public thinks that they were upgraded by the Cybermen."

"Which brings us to Jackie. How'd you explain her coming back from upgrading?"

"Rewrote the records so that she wasn't upgraded. Instead, she had traumatic amnesia due to nearly being upgraded, got lost for a few months before Pete found her in a homeless shelter. Basically, she lost her old personality and gained the one she has now. Explains the little differences between Mum and Jacqueline that way. Plus with all the chaos that happened then, it makes sense that some records wouldn't be accurate about who survived."

The Doctor nodded, clearly impressed. "I get the impression that identification is important in this universe."

"You can't go outside without proper identification," she replied just as their chocolate desserts arrived. "If you're picked up by the police without an ID, you'll be held until you can prove your citizenship. If you can't prove your citizenship, it's up to six months imprisonment for violating international immigration laws, during which time your whole history will be thoroughly investigated. Most violators are then either suspended of privileges until they obtain proper documentation or are deported to their country of birth where they have to answer to the laws of their own country. Given that you don't have a history here, the lack of information would suggest that you are a terrorist and you'd probably spend the rest of your life in prison."

"Well… I suppose I should get an ID then."

"I'll have Dad start the paperwork in the morning. Until you have proper credentials, though, I suggest you don't leave the house without someone who can back you up, like Mum or me. It helps having someone with some clout around if you get yourself in trouble."

"Don't leave the house without escort until I have an ID. Gotcha," the hybrid verbally added to his mental list of dos and don'ts.

"So… what name do you want?"

The Doctor physically froze at his question. Before this conversation had occurred, he didn't really have a chance to think about the implications of his single human heart and living a single life with Rose. Her query, however, shone a giant spotlight on it, revealing the one thing he hadn't really considered even though he'd always known it in said heart. This was permanent. If he grew bored with this life, he couldn't just run off looking for adventure like he had before. This was a mortgage and a house with carpets and drapery. It was a job to earn money to pay off the mortgage on said house with carpets and drapery. It was getting up every morning to go to said job to pay said mortgage on said house with carpets and drapery. It was getting into daily routines and watching telly and eating beans on toast. He and Rose had joked about this life on Krop Tor when he thought the TARDIS was unreachable. But now it was real. It was permanent. It was fantastic. And it was terrifying.

"Name?" he finally squeaked.

"John Smith?" Rose questioned, not noticing the look on his face. "You like to go by that a lot. Or James McCrimmon? You used that once."

There was a long silence before the Doctor spoke. "No." The full-blooded human looked at him with question. He returned her gaze with a determined one of his own. "This is important," he said firmly. "This name… I'm going to have to use it for the rest of my life. No… more than that. This name is going to be my life. It's going to be a birth certificate and a driver's license and a registry on the international identification database and all those other little paper things that humans use to prove that you exist. It's going to be how I introduce myself for the next sixty years or so. I can't just say 'I'm the Doctor' anymore, can I? And I can't just use psychic paper all the time. This is my home planet now and, as such, I need a real, proper human name." He gazed at them, fear and uncertainty in his eyes.

Rose took a breath, reaching out to take his hand. "What's your Gallifreyan name? Maybe you can use that," she suggested.

The Doctor hesitated before shaking his head. "No. Can't use that. For one thing, it's a bit alien and difficult for the average human to pronounce. For another… words have power. No one knows my name but me. Well, one person knows it but… I don't really know how she could. And I never will know. He will but not me." Seeing the look in her eyes, he gave her a little smile. "One day, I'll tell you. I hope. Just… not yet." Taking a breath, he exhaled quickly. "I'll just have to think of something more appropriate. Something… personally suited to me that's more human and not just an indication that I obtained a doctorate."

"You really have a doctorate?"

"Would I call myself the Doctor and not actually be a doctor?" he countered. "I have loads of doctorates. I'm a doctor of everything."

"Well, think about what name you want. We'll also need to come up with a past for you."

"True. And if we're going to have a relationship, we'll also have to come up with our own history together: where we met, what we wore, where we went, et cetera."

"That's easy," she answered, nibbling on a bit of dessert.

He frowned in confusion. "It is?"

"Yup," she told him. "You took my hand and said, 'Run,' and we've been running ever since."

"I seriously doubt that very many people would just accept that."

"Ah, but it would definitely keep them guessing."

He laughed gently. "You're a tease. That's what you are." There was a couple of flashes of light from across the room, which the hybrid immediately identified with a slight frown of concern. "Rose… I think someone just took pictures of us."

Rose turned her head to confirm his statement before groaning softly. "Great," she commented without humor. "We're going to have to rush your paperwork through now." The Doctor looked at her questioningly. "Paparazzi," she stated as if that answered everything.

"Seriously? You have paparazzi following you?"

"Vitex heiress," she confirmed. "I'm the equivalent of Paris Hilton here only I'm not so… self-absorbed."

"I would hope not," the Doctor stated. "Still… doesn't that irritate you? People taking your picture without your permission? Making suppositions about your life based on said pictures? Following you around, invading your privacy?" Mentally, he was grateful to see someone he presumed was the manager telling the photograph taker to leave the bar.

"You get used to it," Rose responded, her eyes on her dessert. "And it could be worse. At least most are conscientious about what pictures they take and how they get them. There never has been a tragedy even slightly similar to Princess Diana." She paused thoughtfully before continuing. "Still, we better make sure that you actually legally exist in this universe as quickly as possible before it gets to be a problem. And you might want to consider what career you want to take up as there's going to be all sorts of questions about you now. You could always work for Torchwood." She looked at him, considering. "How old would you say you are?"

"Thirteen days, fifteen hours, fifty-three minutes, six seconds," came the response. "Well, this body anyway. My mind is over a thousand years old."

"You told me you were nine hundred," she commented with a smile.

"No, I said I'd traveled in a police box for nine hundred years," the Doctor corrected her. "You assumed that I was only nine hundred years old. I didn't travel through time since I was born, you know."

She rolled her eyes with a hint of a laugh. "Whatever. And I meant how old do you believe you are in terms of the way you look."

The Doctor blinked for a moment. "I don't know." He sounded stunned by his confession. "How old do I look? Be honest."

She hedged for a moment. "Thirty-seven?" she suggested.

"That old? Really?" Seeing the shrug she gave him, he took a breath, thinking about her answer. "I guess I am. How old are you?"

"Well, it was 2009 in our original universe and I was twenty-three at the time when we came over. It's currently 2014 so…"

"You're twenty-eight," he concluded.

"So we have a nine year difference between us. Does that mean when you are forty-nine and still gorgeous, I'll look fifty-eight and have a head full of gray hair?"

"Even if you do, you'll still be my Doctor," Rose replied, her tongue sticking out slightly between her teeth as she grinned.

He returned the grin, obviously pleased with her answer.