Chapter 9: Changing Tides

The mid-morning sun cast its rays through Rose's window, bathing her bedroom in a warm yellow hue. The light gently roused Rose from her sleep and soon after, she had showered and was trying to get dressed.

"Ugh!" she shouted at the room and threw her hands up in frustration. "I have a closet full of clothes but can't find anything to wear! How ridiculous is that? There must be something in my flippin' closet!"

Rose grabbed two more outfits from where her clothes were kept and put them up to herself. Sighing in a disgruntled manner, she flopped them back on the bed where a mound of clothing was starting to form.

"Why am I making such a fuss? It's not like I have to impress him or anything. I've been on plenty of dates and this one is no different. Right. I'm just going to pick something at random and hope it works. There, that should do."

Grabbing a pair of nice jeans and a blue coloured t-shirt with a grey zip up hoodie, she promptly put on her clothes before topping it all off with her her signature hoop earrings.

"Right. Now to find the Doctor." She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as her thoughts reached out and plucked him from her memory. A heat grew low in her belly as she relived the moment, their mouths locked in a volley of passionate kisses while she straddled him on her settee. Her heart began to drum loudly in her ears, and butterflies took flight in her stomach at the racy image, making it hard for her to think straight.

Rose shook off the recollection and sighed, "You can do this." Giving herself a pep talk in the mirror, she hoped it would help her gain some form of control.

Her resolve now set, she straightened her shoulders and made her way down the stairs. After munching on a late breakfast, she crossed the Tyler estate to look for her date.

Finding the partial Time Lord in the playroom with Tony, she peeked her head in and watched quietly for a few minutes. They were both deep in a fantasy world of their own making, and she hated to break up such a happy and carefree sight.

Tony was busying himself around the train tracks, placing little buildings and toy people about while the hybrid Doctor set the trains on their respective lines. Making quick work of it, he plugged in the necessary wires and tested to see if the trains worked correctly before letting her brother know the trains were ready to go.

"All set Tony!" he shouted merrily.

"CHOO-CHOO! All aboard!" Tony hollered back in an excitement, as the trains began to move.

They went around the track noisily, clacking over the rails in an unhurried manner.

"Hey Tony? These trains of yours don't go very fast, do they?" the partial Time Lord's eyes gleamed with mischief and he smiled impishly as thought appeared to be bubbling at the surface. Rose got the sneaking suspicion he was about to get up to something rather cheeky.

"Would you like them to go faster? 'Cause I can do that. Make 'em go as fast as as a real train even. Well, maybe not a real train—if it went that fast, it might fly off the tracks and break somethin' and we wouldn't want that, would we? Still, I could speed 'em up for you, if you want. You have to promise me one thing though. If I do it, you won't go blabbing about it to your mum, right? This is to be kept between you and I, alright. Oh, and Rose. You can tell her, but no one else."

Tony's face lit up at his words. "I promise! Oh, thank you Doctor!"

Tony was up on his feet in a flash- and after a quick hug, much to the surprise of the Doctor- he ran about the playroom expressing his excitement in a sing-song voice.

Deeming it necessary to intrude, Rose stood up from her slouched position in the doorway and cleared her throat, announcing her presence to the both of them.

"Rose! Um, hello," the partial Time Lord swiftly stood; he seemed startled and just a little bit flustered at her appearance as she entered the room, pulling at his earlobe and blushing slightly.

"Morning Rose!" Tony spoke as he rushed to give his big sister a hug.

"Morning Tony," she smiled brightly at him. "Watcha' playin'? Looks like fun."

"We were playing with my toy trains! The Doctor says 'e can make my trains go really, really fast!"

"Oh did he now? Well, just make sure Mum doesn't find out. She may have a thing or two to say about it." She winked at Tony knowingly and placed him back on the floor.

The partial Time Lord chuckled. "Well Tony, it's been fun and all, but I'm afraid I have to go now. I really need some new clothes and your sister has offered to help me find some. I'll see you later, eh?"

Tony pouted. "But, but, Doctor! I don't want you to go! I want you to stay and play! You promised you'd make my trains go faster!"

"And I will. But first, I need to go get some clothes. Tell you what – tomorrow I'm free. I'll supercharge your trains then, sound good?"

"Yes! Thanks Doctor!" Tony pumped his fist into the air in triumph before giving the hybrid Doctor's lanky legs a bear hug.

"Ready Rose?" He turned toward his beautiful companion, grinning broadly at her.

Rose beamed at him. "Yup!"

"Molto Bene!" he bellowed while clasping his hand around Rose's and walked out the playroom door.

XOXOXOX

Stepping into the store, Rose pulled the partial Time Lord toward the menswear department. A smile beamed broadly across her face, as she thought about the hybrid Doctor trying on trousers for her enjoyment. This was the first time she ever got to do anything like this with him; he had always plenty of clothes on board the TARDIS and sonicing them seemed his go-to when they needed to be cleaned or mended. Now that the tables were turned, she couldn't help but feel the excitement bubble up inside her; being able to watch the partial Time Lord don new clothing, as part of the new life he would live in Pete's world, left her feeling delightfully ecstatic.

"What do y' reckon?" She held up an oxford against his chest.

"Well...I- I was wondering if I shouldn't try some different things on first. I mean, I do like the oxford, but I was thinking that since it's a new world for me, that I would branch out a bit? Try on something like...this?" The hybrid Doctor held up a pair of hideous plaid golf shorts.

Rose laughed. "Ya' can't be serious. Those things? No. As your...partner in crime, it's my duty to stop you from trying anythin' like that on. But your right about branchin' out, I think it'll be good for you. Come on then, let's go find you some jeans, yeah?" She dragged him further along, hoping to distract him from noticing the hesitation in her voice as she mulled over how to refer to their relationship now. She wasn't a girlfriend. Not yet, anyway. She wasn't exactly just a friend now either. This was their first real "date" – not including the chips she bought after visiting satellite 5 – but it felt more like two friends doing something mundane together. Maybe he was waiting for her to make the first move?

Ugh, this is getting too complicated, this is, she grumbled to herself.

Grabbing a few pairs that looked about his size, Rose directed him toward the dressing rooms and pushed the jeans into his waiting hands.

"Right, all set then. Off you pop. And don't keep me waiting too long." She smiled at him.

With a nod of his head, he turned and disappeared through the change room door. The minute it was shut, Rose released a silent sigh in relief as she made her way to the waiting area and sat in a comfy chair; he hadn't picked up on her hesitation and for that she was grateful.

No need to explain myself then. What a relief, that would've been a right mess.

Returning momentarily to her thoughts, she tried to find a better phrase than 'partner in crime' to describe their changing affiliation. She really didn't know what to call it, and try as she might, her mind remained blank.

The hybrid Doctor sauntered out of the change room and walked down the hall toward her. Giving a winning smile, he spun on the spot, allowing for her eyes to cast a lingering gaze on his backside.

Crooking his head back over his shoulder he chuckled. "Like what you see, Rose?" he said with a wink.

"Yes," she said with a playful smirk, allowing just enough of a pause for him to make assumptions before continuing, "the trousers are ace, even if the fella in them looks a bit dodgy."

He faltered for a moment at her surprising quip. "Oi! What do you mean by that? What's wrong with the way I look? I thought you liked this dodgy fellow!" he bantered back in mock horror.

She looked seductively at him as her tongue slid out and licked her lips."I never said I didn't, but that doesn't mean that a nice pair of jeans won't improve a few things, like a good view for instance."

He mirrored her sultry gaze, his honey brown eyes darkening with want and lingering a moment longer than necessary. "Glad you think so, my beautiful flower." He moved toward her, painstakingly so, until they were a hairsbreadth apart. Then, ever so gently, his fingers were under her chin and guiding her lips toward his.

A cough came from somewhere behind them, interrupting their intimate moment, much to the dismay of them both.

"Aw, bless. Look at you two! You must 'ave just gotten married, am I right? So young and in love – makes me think of when me and my Harold were young, God rest his soul. Bin gone these ten years past, he has."

Before she knew what was happening, the partial Time Lord pulled her close and gave her forehead a peck. She watched him smile gregariously while he hugged her closer to his side. "That's us- the newlyweds! Just got married, we did and we are so, so in love."

Rose's face flickered with astonishment as their eyes met; those warm amber eyes were so full of emotion as they regarded her, that she instantly knew he meant what he said. He was emphatically in love with her. Almost growing faint at the realization, she was incredibly thankful the hybrid Doctor had his hand around her waist for support.

"Well, it's a nice change see two people so in love. You don't see too much of that anymore, and it's a shame really. I truly think love makes the world go round."

"So do I," the partial Time Lord said. "In fact, I don't know what I'd do without my Rose. I probably wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her." He glanced at her and gave her a knowing look.

Rose, gaining some fortitude over her shock, added " W-We are so sorry to hear about y' husband too. You must have loved each other very much."

"Ta, we did, and I miss him every single day now that he's gone." Her eyes became wistful and her face flashed with sadness her own words; she became silent for a few moments, lost in her own reverie before returning to the conversation.

"Anyway dearies, I'm off now. But before I go, I just wanted to say congratulations – and, if I can give you one word of advice to you both, never forget to appreciate the love you have. It will keep you going through anything. Ta-ra!"

The elderly woman gave a short wave as she toddled out of the changing rooms and disappeared back into the store.

Awkward silence followed as Rose tried with all her heart to gather the thoughts and feelings about what the partial Time Lord had just said. The attraction was there and she loved the Doctor, yes, but she thought it too early to say those heartfelt words; she needed more time with him to make sure her love was properly founded, and not just residual feelings attaching themselves to the man before her. In the meantime, she'd just have to avoid talking about him declaring feelings for her, and hope for the best.

"Blimey, you're moving fast, saying we were married! Why did y' lie to that lovely lady? There was no need for it."

"Rose, how could I tell her we weren't married when it brought her such joy seeing us like this? You heard her yourself, her husband died and she was left all alone. I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise and make her upset." The hybrid Doctor reasoned.

"Fine, I see your point. But don't get any ideas, mate! This is only our first official date, not a marriage proposal. Got it?" She pointed a finger in his direction.

"Yup, got it." As he said those words, disheartenment flashed over his eyes as Rose looked upon them.

Strange. He appeared to be upset at that that. Huh, that's a bit weird. Maybe I was just seeing things- yeah, it was all in my head. He couldn't be thinking of things like that, it's too early. There's no way.

"Good. Now, let's find you some more clothes. Oh, and to be honest, I quite like you all suited and booted. I mean you look well-fit in a pair of jeans, but there is something about that suit of yours that just, I don't know, suits you." She chuckled at her pun under the gaze of the partial Time Lord's raised eyebrow.

"Alright Rose, let's see what else this slim man can't fit into. Allons-y!"

XOXOXOX

After a long day of clothes shopping, the hybrid Doctor and Rose deemed it time for dinner. What the partial Time Lord didn't express was the reservation he had acquired in the nice restaurant close by and the flowers he was going to have delivered to their table. The thought of surprising Rose made him giddy and simply couldn't contain the excitement he felt.

"My lady." He held out his hand to her as he opened the door of the car, trying not to look too eager.

Rose smiled bashfully up at him. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he murmured as he watched her eyes shimmer with the dim light of dusk. "By the way, you look beautiful."

"This?" Rose questioned, looking down at herself. "It's nothing really. I couldn't decide to wear today, so I just grabbed whatever I could find."

In the fading light, he could just make out the flush that spread over her cheeks and smiled to himself. "That's not the point, I could care less what you decided to wear. I meant you. Well, your personality, actually. Still, I am one lucky man to have the fortune of knowing you, Rose Tyler. Thank you." He bowed his head at his admission and rocked back on his heels. "Right, better shake a leg, otherwise we'll be late."

They walked the short distance to the trendy restaurant; both of their footsteps falling perfectly in sync upon the pavement. The hybrid Doctor shot an affectionate side glance Rose's way, hoping its effect would relax and reassure them both, but a familiar fluttering in his stomach began as he caught her sparkling eyes with his own while escorting her to the door.

XOXOXOX

Once they were seated and drinks ordered, Rose looked about her and thought how posh everything looked; glancing about at all the other patrons, she noticed they were all dolled up in fancy dress which made her feel slightly out of place in her zip up sweatshirt and jeans.

Picking up her menu, she gave a silent gasp as she looked at the prices of each meal.

"What do you think I am, Doctor? Made of money?! If you expect me to pay for this, you're sorely mistaken!" She growled across the table, shooting daggers at him from her eyes while she stood abruptly; her chair scraping loudly across the wood floor. The superfluous noise from the other patrons dimmed and now people were staring at their table.

Not looking away from his menu, he spoke candidly as he chose what to eat. "Of course not Rose, I'm paying for this. Now, would you please sit down and enjoy yourself."

"You mean to tell me that you had money all this time?! You absolute prat! I just forked out close to £200 on you and you neglected to inform me you could have paid for it yourself! Right, I know what you're gonna do. You're gonna pay me back. Right now."

Rose held out her hand, expecting the partial Time Lord to place the money in her awaiting palm, but instead, his hand reached out and grasped hers.

"My darling Rose, the reason I didn't mention I had money is because I wanted to take you somewhere nice, because you deserve it. I wanted to surprise you with a lovely dinner and-"

"Ms. Tyler," said a young gentleman walking up to their table holding a bouquet of gorgeous flowers, "these are for you."

Rose stared at the man, in shocked silence.

"I'll take those. Thanks by the way, glad you could deliver them here." The hybrid Doctor took the bouquet in hand as some change passed into the young man's hand for his troubles.

"Um, I thought you would like some flowers, so I got them delivered to the restaurant. Was that alright?" He looked down at her, sheepishly.

A long sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed the tension from her brow. "Yes, it's alright," she grumbled and gently took the flowers from his hands. Grabbing her chair she slowly sat back down, waiting for him to explain himself.

"I- I figured that going clothes shopping wasn't much of a date. So, I came up with this." He held his hands out, gesturing to the dinner and flowers. "And since I had planned it to be a surprise, I secretly asked to borrow some money from your Dad. He was more than happy to help, by the way, which is more than I can say about your Mother. She just told me if I wasn't an absolute gentleman to you, my head would be on a pike. A barrel of laughs she is, in the morning. Remind me never to cross her before 11am. I-I'm rambling again aren't I?" He asked as her eyes had glazed over slightly.

"What? Oh. Um ya, just a bit." Rose looked up at him timidly.

"Right, should probably get back on topic then. Where was I? Oh yes. So, I told Pete I'd pay him back as soon as I got my first paycheck from Torchwood and he agreed to give me the money." The words came out in such a rush, Rose almost didn't catch what he said. Almost.

"W-wait a minute. Did you just say your first paycheck from Torchwood?" Rose queried, now perking up at the mention of him acquiring a job.

The hybrid Doctor mussed up his hair. "Yeah, I did." In all of what happened over the past forty eight hours, Rose couldn't completely blame him for not saying anything.

"Look, I only just accepted this morning. It's not official yet. Pete says I need to do some paperwork first. He told me I need a paper trail." He explained. "I have been meaning to tell you Rose, but it's been a mad few days for the both of us, I suspect.

Rose resigned another sigh, "Ya, it has."

"Sir, Madam? Are you ready to order now?" A waiter had come up to their table while they were in deep discussion. "Um, can we have a bit more time, thanks?" The partial Time Lord dismissed him with a wave of his hand, not even looking in the man's direction.

Rose just looked at him, gave a guilty smile and shrugged at the waiter before mouthing a silent apology.

With an eye roll, he turned on his heel and began to walk away muttering "rude" as he went.

"Oi, I heard that!" he called out to the retreating waiter who ignored the outburst. "If he thinks he's getting a tip now, he's sorely mistaken! I ought to talk to the manager when we've finished dinner!" The hybrid Doctor exclaimed to Rose.

"Doctor, shhhhhh! Don't worry about him. He's probably had a rough day, is all. Plus, we have more important things to talk about."

Rose had been so wrapped up in her emotions about the whole situation, she hadn't given any thoughts to the future and how the partial Time Lord would begin to integrate in Pete's world. She hadn't even entertained the idea of him being ready for a job at Torchwood, especially in such a short amount of time, but apparently he had other ideas.

"So, you've taken a position at Torchwood, yeah? What made you take it so soon?" She investigated. "I mean you only just got here and it seems like a pretty domestic thing to commit to so quickly, especially in your case." Rose sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, you've never been one for domesticity on the best of days. Why now?"

XOXOXOX

The partial Time Lord had to think fast. He needed to find some reason other than the Bad Wolf. He might not have to lie outright though; no matter what, he still needed to grow the TARDIS coral. "Well, as you know, I need a place safe and the right equipment to grow the TARDIS. And since your parents' house doesn't exactly have the facilities nor the technology necessary to do that, I had no choice but to accept your Dad's offer. Plus, he made quite the convincing argument."

Rose chuckled. "Well, that's as good an excuse as ever. I bet you miss it something fierce too – being in the TARDIS, travelling through all of space and time. No wonder you accepted his offer."

"I do miss it. But I would miss it more if you weren't here with me." The hybrid Doctor gave a chaste smile and took hold of her hand; he rubbed the back it with the pad of his thumb, drawing varying sizes of circles upon her skin.

A long moment of quiet passed between them, her hand still clasped in his, both of them deep inside their own minds as his thumb continued to caress the back of her hand.

The waiter's voice broke their silence. "Are you ready to order now?" he asked impatiently.

XOXOXOX

Once their orders were taken and they were once again alone, Rose began to ask more questions about Torchwood.

"So Doctor, this paper trail you need. You're gonna need a name and a birth date for my Dad to forge stuff like a drivers licence and a birth certificate. Have you thought about what you might put down?"

Good question. What did he want to put for his name and birth date. He took a moment to think. Well, the name would be easy, he'd just use his alias, but his birth date would be another matter.

"Well, I'd probably just use Dr. John Smith. That's simple enough. As for my birthday though, I haven't the faintest. Any ideas?"

"Well, the first time I met you – I mean the other you – in this body, it was right before Christmas, do you remember that?"

He grinned. "How could I forget? I still need to take you to the planet Barcelona, don't I? I wonder if it exists in this universe. Well, there's only one way to find out! That'll be our first trip then. Oh y-"

"Doctor. Doctor! Earth to John!" Rose raised her voice.

"What? Oh, did my gob run off with me again? Sorry. Wait a minute, did you just call me John?"

"Yes, I did. I figure y' gonna have to get used to people calling you that, so why not start now? It got your attention, didn't it?" She giggled with a tongue touched smile. "Anyways, as I was saying, since the full Time Lord you regenerated near Christmas, why don't you pick your birth date around then, yeah?"

"Alright. Hmm," he pondered. "What about the 21st? The 21'st of December, 1971. That would make me...thirty seven for all intents and purposes. What do you think, Rose? Do I look that like I could pass for thirty seven?"

He certainly hoped he had chosen the appropriate age. He really didn't have a clue about how old he looked and hoped Rose would enlighten him.

"Sounds about right t' me. Smack dab in the middle of your prime- not too young and not too old either. Good choice. You do realize though, now your one of us, you'll be ageing just like the rest of the human race, right?" She flashed a cheeky grin in his direction.

"Don't remind me." The partial Time Lord's face contorted in disgust at her comment as steaming plates of food appeared in front of them and they both tucked in.

That was another new thing for him to get used to; getting older was something that never even had crossed his mind until today. It was always a choice before, regenerate or don't. Simple as that. Easy peasy. Now, being part human, his body would wither and he would die like everyone else. Like Rose. That was the one thing that made this morbid train of thought glow with the flicker of hope. He would finally be able to enjoy a life with her the way he had always wanted; to grow old together instead of watching from a distance like a lonely god. This was a chance, a precious gift from his full blooded twin, to live the life he could never have. And for that, he would cherish, love and grow old with her – for both their sakes.

XOXOXOX

Once their meal was finished and they had arrived back at the Tyler estate, Rose and the partial Time Lord got out of the car and approached her front door.

The moon's rays cascaded down, setting the drive and her house aglow with a most other-worldly light. The wind picked up, making the leaves rustle in the trees, filling the silence between them as they reached the door.

"Well, this is me," Rose chuckled nervously. "And by the way, John, I had a really great time tonight. Thank you."

The hybrid Doctor beamed back at her. "You called me John again. Don't know if I'll ever get used to that. And you are very welcome. Would you like to do this again sometime?"

"I'd love that. G' night, Doctor."

"Goodnight my beautiful Rose. Sleep well."

She stepped forward, closing the distance between them and raised herself up on tiptoes. Her soft lips found their mark upon the partial Time Lord's cheek and then, before he could register what had occurred, she turned on her heel and silently disappeared behind her door.

The hybrid Doctor sighed happily and touched the cheek she had caressed only moments before while he meandered back to the main house; a love struck smile plastered to his face and his head filled with sweet nothings meant only for her.

That night, the partial Time Lord's dreams were not filled with his usual nightmares but of many pleasant scenes with the only woman he could ever see himself with- Rose.