Complications

By The Plot Thinens

Chapter 10 –Tooth and Claw

The Doctor awoke from his slumber to the feeling of Rose's golden hair on one side of his face and the imitation Gallifreyan morning light on the other half of his face. For only a split second was he fooled that he was back on his home planet with Rose and it was a wonderful second. But that feeling was over all too soon and the Doctor needed a distraction for his large mind while Rose still slept. He carefully slipped out of bed and pulled the covers over Rose.

'If only things could be this perfect.' Mourned the Doctor to himself before slipping out of the room. He didn't know if it was a relief or painful to be greeted with the distinct corridors of the TARDIS, a part of him half expect or rather desired to see the common room, more like grand hall of his family estate on Gallifrey. Straightening up he made his way to the kitchen to fix something to eat for himself and Rose. Rose would be awake soon and she would need food to eat or something to settle her stomach if she felt sick. The TARDIS, not too long later, informed him that Rose was being sick again, so the Doctor gave up any ideas for a complicated breakfast and settled on toast and bananas with some ginger tea.

Rose woke up in the nursery's four-poster bed and felt the 'sun' on her skin. She stretched; feeling completely relaxed and reached an arm out for the Doctor only to find that he was not there. Her disappointment did not last long as she found herself feeling sick and ran for the nearest door which she knew that the TARDIS would put a bathroom behind. Rose lost whatever was left in her stomach from the night before and after that started her morning routine.

"You know Mummy is going to remind you how much I threw up all for your sake when you're old enough." Rose half seriously said to her unborn child as she brushed her teeth to get the last of the sick from her mouth before showering. After she was done with her shower, Rose wrapped a bathrobe around her and then headed out to find the Doctor.

Rose walked into the kitchen and spotted the Doctor at the small table in the corner. He was impeccably dressed as ever and his hair was so delightfully held up with the right amount of product that she had to resist the urge to just start putting her hands through it. Later she would but for now she had to attend to the baby's needs, which meant Mummy had to eat something.

"Morning, honey… Well, you are sweet as honey to me. Do you like that, Rose?" Smiled the Doctor to Rose as he gestured for her to have a seat. Rose's pleased expression indicated that she did like it. Rose liked very much that the Doctor was using terms of endearment with her and reasoned that it was now unobjectionable for her to do the same. Though she could not think of a better term of endearment then, 'My Doctor', but there was always time to find more. Smiling at the thought, Rose sat down and took the mug of tea that the Doctor then offered her. It was ginger and although the medicine that the TARDIS provided for her worked wonders, she still didn't mind drinking something settling too. You could never have too much of a settled stomach, she reasoned. As soon as Rose had eaten her toast she looked to her Time Lord and very tentatively asked,

"You weren't there when I woke up. How was the night for you?" The Doctor smiled back though it was clear he still was a little uncomfortable about the nursery,

"Well first off there really isn't any night or day on the TARDIS. It was a little difficult but having you there, and yes even the baby's mind, helped." Smiled the Doctor as he placed a gentle hand on Rose's abdomen.

"We don't have to sleep there all the time. I was just too tired to walk back to our room even if the TARDIS put it behind the first door." Explained Rose as she placed her hand over the Doctors. The Doctor would not have Rose thinking that there was any place on the TARDIS that she should feel uneasy about and assured her that it was just a room like any other on the TARDIS.

"It's not like any other room, Doctor. It's a reminder of both our planets, a bit more on your side, but it's a lovely room. It's a marriage of both our planets and it's wonderful that the TARDIS is giving our little girl such a gift. Maybe The TARDIS is trying to help you address some of your issues from the war. I know that you won't get over everything overnight but I'll be here to help you through it all. And once the baby is born, we will be making so many happy memories in that room that it will be easier and easier to be in it." Assured Rose. The Doctor took Rose's hand and kissed her knuckles.

"How come you always know just what to say?" He asked in wonderment of the amazing person in front of him. Rose blushed a bit and she thought that they might snog again, but then the Doctor was up like a shot.

"Anyway, I've got a real treat in store for you today, Rose Tyler Smith. Follow me and I'll explain our latest destination on Air TARDIS. Well not really air, we aren't flying, but more like floating with a bit of swimming…" Rambled the Doctor as Rose followed closely behind while still in her bathrobe.

Upon Rose learning of their newest destination a fun trip to a historic concert in the 1970s, though he had not said which concert yet. Rose was excited none the less and wanted to get as close to looking ready for the part as she could. Unfortunately she wasn't sure what in the clothing she brought with her on the TARDIS would be suited for the trip, and most of her clothing was starting to be very tight around the middle. As luck would have it though without having to rely on the TARDIS's wardrobe she found a denim mini-dungarees outfit that still fit just fine. Though she couldn't decide if it hid her condition more or showed it off as the clothing was baggy enough.

"What do you think of this? Will it do?" Asked Rose of her husband as she showed off the outfit that made her look a little bit wild. Hopefully wild enough for the 1970s. She had partly dressed herself in their room and the rest in the console room and the Doctor had to fight off the urge to stare at her. The Doctor surveyed his pregnant wife from toe to head and he liked what he saw. He was also pleased that Rose felt comfortable enough with him again to be seen in all forms of dress in front of him. Well almost all forms, they had yet to parade in front of each other in their birthday suits yet. Now that he had thought of that he was actually hoping and excited that they might get to that point in their relationship again soon. He hoped that Rose liked his new body this way. He knew that she had to at least seen some of it when she had dressed him back at Christmas. The Time Lord thought it almost funny that he was insecure in everything about his body except his, um parts. Those he was sure Rose would like, call it a little arrogance, but there you have it. He looked at Rose again obviously she was ready to rock out and safely as an expectant mother could. The Doctor approved of the short outfit but teasingly declared,

"In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this." The Doctor then pulled out a CD and placed it into the TARDIS console…Rose was not aware that the console had a CD player, but the more she thought about it, why would it not? The TARDIS made anything and had anything.

"Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979." Noted the Doctor as he stalked about the TARDIS showing off his Time Lord knowledge to impress his human bride.

"You're a punk." Smirked Rose as she admired the Time Lord from his great hair to his gorgeous bum.

"It's good to be a lunatic." Sang the Doctor with the music as he worked about the TARDIS controls. Rose regarded the man before her and realized that this taste in music he had would have had to have been gathered before they met. Bemused with the idea she pictured her first Doctor behaving in the same manner and listening to music like that which was playing now. Well that must have been before the war. She could not picture her Doctor doing that between when they met and the war. Maybe this was more like he was before hand and Rose was happy that the Doctor was coming out of his shell and sharing something as personal as music taste with her. She didn't want to give herself too much credit but she couldn't help but wonder if her being there for him through the rough times and now the prospect of their new family together had changed him for the better. Okay, she lied to herself, she wasn't giving herself a lot of credit and it gave her the courage to be more territorial with her claim to the man in front of her. And why shouldn't she feel a claim to him, he was her husband. Coyly she stalked him as he hit a ridiculous high note and Rose first winched and then laughed.

"That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in." Grinned Rose as she came up behind the Doctor and pinched his behind and continued to stalk him somewhat seductively around the TARDIS console as he punched in coordinates staying just ever so enticingly out of her reach. The Doctor had looked at first surprised at the action from his bride, but then gave Rose a toothy grin similar to the one on her face.

"Would you like to see him?" Asked the Doctor as if it were nothing. Rose was taken aback by the statement.

"How'd you mean? In concert? Inquired Rose for clarity.

"What else is a TARDIS for? I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?" Bragged the Doctor oh so impressively to his wife. Originally he had wanted a distraction for himself, but now that Rose was before him with her hair that wild, he was pulling all the stops out to astonish her with his Time Lord abilities. If he were honest with himself what he wanted was to turn Rose on. He was the amazing alien with the best ride in all of time and space. He was hot, and he wanted Rose to want him. Which he was pretty sure, based on her grabby behavior, that she did.

"Sheffield it is." Stated Rose, excited for the concert. How many people got to see concerts long over, live? And not just a recording, actually be there when it happened. Just her and the Doctor it seemed. She traveled though all of time and space, but the idea of getting to go, see and do anything still had not sunk in yet. Maybe it never would. She guessed that she was looking at time travel as more of a history lesson of important events and people. Taking advantage of a time machine as a means to enjoy the more contemporary entertainments, like past famous concerts on Earth had not occurred to her. Now that you thought of it, why had it not? Music could be very important to changing history, but you could always re-experience music as long as there was a recording of it no matter the era. Seeing it as it was preformed for the first time live was another story. Too bad the Doctor had not told her until now, she might have taken her mother along to a Beatles or Elvis concert if she could stomach a trip in time. Maybe that was why he had not said anything until now, her husband had been more scared of her mother in his old form then he was now it seemed. The old him never did anything as domestic as Christmas dinner, guess her family had won him over a little. Was she now living with a semi-feral Time Lord now? Rose pondered to herself.

"Hold on tight." Warned the Doctor and Rose sat down on the jumpseat while gripping the seat tightly. The Doctor beat along with the rhythm of the song on the console with a mallet as they traveled through time and space. Rose had no idea if he was doing it for fun or if he actually was trying to repair something, but she could feel that the TARDIS did not like it.

"Stop!" Declared Rose, afraid that the Doctor would anger the TARDIS and as punishment might move their bed to the ceiling. She had done that once before when the Doctor wore leather and much to the Doctor's chagrin the TARDIS had pitched a tent on the ground where their bed should have been. Rose had spent that night in her old room, since she knew that the Doctor didn't sleep anyway. Literally she spent the night in her old room. The TARDIS had made her an exact replica of her bed room at her mother's flat. Clearly the TARDIS meant for her to 'stay at mom's' until the Doctor learned his lesson. At first Rose had apprehensive, but the TARDIS made it clear that this was just for tonight. Absence makes the heart grow fonder Rose thought as she tucked herself into bed. Besides she was very tired and a relaxing sleep in a familiar place without fear of her secret pregnancy being discovered took a mountain of stress off her.

What Rose didn't know was that the Doctor, that time especially, had been looking forward to their cuddling-ish time and was very much disappointed with his punishment from the TARDIS. Rose was brought back from her musing when the TARDIS came to a sudden stop and the Doctor was somewhat roughly, but not dangerously so, thrown on the floor. The two time travelers laughed as the Doctor picked himself off the floor.

'Serves you right.' Smirked Rose to herself as she got up. The Doctor grabbed his coat and after pulling his wife to her feet the Time Lord began to excitedly chatter as Rose helped him put on his coat.

"1979. Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb." Rambled on the Doctor to his wife as he exited the TARDIS.

"And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached t…My thumb. " Trailed off the Doctor as he found himself looking at the business ends of late 19th century rifles and one pistol. No, not just one but several and they were pointed at his wife too. This was not good. They were surrounded by Redcoats with the officer in charge on a black horse looking down on them with intimidating stares.

"1879. Same difference." Noted the Doctor flippantly as he and Rose held up their hands in surrender. Rose was not happy that yet again they had managed to bumble their way into trouble. Well the coordinates on the TARDIS could have been wrong, and they could have been more careful to check. Well the Doctor could have at least, but they both were rather distracted when they were setting the destination.

"You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of this girl." Rose was about to note that she was a woman not a girl, but the Doctor had beat her to the next remark.

"Are we in Scotland?" Asked the Doctor jovially in a Scottish accent. This amused Rose to no end and if the circumstances were not what they were, she might have been finding her mind drifting to thoughts of the Doctor in a kilt and if he'd be a real Scotsman when he wore it.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" Demanded the officer in important looking military garbs.

"Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this…,er, me wee naked wife over hill and over dale. Very good at wandering off. Isn't that right, my timorous beastie?" Smirked the Doctor nervously. The armed guards looked incredulous at the idea that any respectable man would let his own wife wander about these hills in such a state of dress. The guards were more incline to believe that this man was covering up rather stupidly for an odd affair with a questionable woman. Or at least they would if not for the out of the way location they had been found. The middle of nowhere was an odd place to pick to have a love affair. If you wanted pleasurable company then you went to the seedy side of town. Or were they dropped here? Still if the otherwise skinny girl with him was a lady of ill repute then that made even less sense since it seemed that she might be pregnant. That was usually when many married men went looking for a mistress.

"Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot." Rose attempted to say in a really bad Scottish accent trying not to giggle despite the situation.

"No, don't do that." The Doctor warned his wife.

"Hoots mon." Replied Rose a bit indigently.

"No, really don't. Really." Warned the Doctor again this time more sternly.

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" Said the head soldier, but it was more a demand that asking when a gun was pointed at you.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory. This here is Mrs. McCrimmon. I have my credentials, if I may." Said the Doctor in his Scottish accent as he got out his psychic paper.

"As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself. Please stop pointing a gun at my wife, yeah?" Declared the Doctor hoping the paper would save him some trouble and get the guns trained off them.

"Let them approach." Said the feminine voice of an older woman from the carriage behind the guards.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am. They are an unusual lot and most likely not fit to be seen with you." Cautioned the head Soldier.

"Let them approach. I think I may decide who is worth being seen with." Said the female voice from the carriage, this time more firmly. The officer looked shaken by the reproach and realized that he had over stepped his authority. Regaining his composure, the man gestured to the two strangers in the direction of the carriage.

"You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference." Instructed the guard in all seriousness to the time traveling duo. The Doctor mock saluted the soldier and approached the carriage along with his wife. A footman then opened the door to the carriage to reveal the Imperial Widow herself, Queen Victoria.

"Rose, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith." Beamed the Doctor with all the pomp and circumstance expected of addressing royalty.

"Rose Tyler Smith… McCrimmon, Ma'am. Smith that was my maiden name. Still getting used to it and my apologies for being so naked." Rose said a bit sheepishly in the presence of such a famous person from her country's own history, though to the Doctor it was just a fun novelty.

"I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials." Remarked the Queen as she gestured to be handed the psychic paper. The Doctor did just that and the Queen looked it over with much surprise, but then very pleased.

"Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector." Declared the Queen as she handed the Doctor back his 'paper'. This the Doctor was not expecting, he was actually hoping to make a hasty return to the TARDIS and check Rose over for any ill effect of being held at gun point could do to an expectant mother. After that and some rest they then could finally get to 1979, where he meant to take her. True he was curious as to what the Queen was doing her in the middle of seemingly nowhere and he loved a good mystery, but Rose took priority. Still they were stuck playing the roles they were now and best to make the most of it. He could always run a sonic scan on Rose on the sly and now that the threat of having lead put into them was gone, things were much more pleasant. Still something must be up if the Queen felt that she needed more protection when she already had this many guards at her disposal.

"Does it? Yes, it does. Good. Good. Then let me ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?" Said the Doctor slipping right into the role he was expected to play. Rose loved it when the Doctor was like this. No matter what face he had on or what he was wearing, he always managed to fit in seamlessly. His take charge attitude also made her feel protected and gave her the extra courage to boldly travel in Time and Space. She had to admit that if the Doctor did not seem worried, then she did not feel the reason to either. Rose was getting too good at reading him now for him to too easily mask concern. Other than the fact that he had obviously been upset that guns had been trained on her, he seemed to now be at relative ease. That being said, Rose was going to make the most of this trip, and have fun even if she wasn't dressed right for the time period.

"A tree on the line." Explained the Queen as she straightened up yet more.

"An accident?" The doctor questioned.

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned." Noted the Queen. The Doctor nodded his head in understanding and questioned,

"An assassination attempt?"

"What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?" Asked Rose, a bit uncivil in her address, not believing that someone would try to kill or could be able to kill a British monarch. Rose was too much a product of her time and assassination attempts on British Royals seemed too set back in medieval times to be an issue in a more modern British time period.

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun." Bragged the Queen to Rose. The Officer then remarked,

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

"This Doctor and his timorous beastie will come with us." Commanded the Queen. The officer looked a little annoyed by the Doctor's smug grin but rallied his men and obeyed.

"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall." Said the officer on horseback.

"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!" Stated the Queen as she commanded her caravan to move forward.

A half hour later the Doctor and Rose found themselves walking with the soldiers behind the carriage. Rose was actually enjoying the walk and although the Doctor had asked her if she was good to walk in her condition, Rose was having none of that. She was touched at his concern, but she was pregnant not infirm,

"I'm fine, Doctor. My ankles haven't even started to swell yet like you see on Tele. Let's wait until I look ready to pop and we'll maybe take it a little easy. What's good for me is good for the baby. A walk is just the exercise I need, look that castle I can see it already." Grinned Rose, a walk was not the most dangerous thing that could happen to her after all. The Doctor apologized; he did not want Rose thinking that he questioned her abilities. He just told her that he was concern.

"This whole human pregnancy thing is new to me too, Rose. Granted I have delivered babies before, but never really stuck around to see the whole process. Pregnancy was a novelty when you had looms on my planet." Said the Doctor a bit sheepish. Rose gave the Doctor a kiss on the cheek and the two held hands as they continued to follow the carriage. As Rose stared at the back of Queen Victoria's carriage, she began to mull over what the Queen and the Doctor had discussed earlier.

"It's funny though, because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her." Remarked Rose as she pondered history. The Doctor took in a deep breath and rolled some numbers in his head as he said,

"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria!"

"I know!" Cheered Rose as she hugged the Doctor's arm.

"What a laugh!" Giggled the Doctor as Rose made a note that she was just sitting there.

"Like a stamp." Grinned the Doctor again as the two bantered back and forth in a puppy love-ish dialog.

"I want her to say we are not amused. I bet you five quid I can make her say it." Giggle Rose to her husband who was holding on to her hand. The terrain was a bit uneven and he did not want her falling down. Even though Rose had insisted that she wasn't that pregnant yet.

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveler in time." Declared the Doctor in a very noble voice.

"Ten quid and a snog on the jumpseat? Shot back Rose.

"Done." Replied the Doctor with a slight squeak in his voice.

The caravan finally reach the formidable looking manor known as Torchwood house to be greeted by its occupants. The Master of the house came out and as soon as the Queen had alighted from her carriage the well dressed man of the house came to greet her.

"Your Majesty." Said a rather nervous looking man, called Sir Robert. The Doctor attributed that to meeting with the Queen for what might be the first time. The Doctor took stock of the household staff in front of him with so many very fit looking men about, but no woman to be seen yet.

"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?

"She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." Said the man apparently too embarrassed to have the Queen stay when his house was so understaffed. The Doctor was beginning to form an interesting picture about the head of the house now, but it was no concern of his. Just amusing and wondered if it was as obvious to the other around him as it was to him.

"Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl." Smiled the Queen to Sir Robert as she gestured to Rose at the end of her sentence. What a thing to have to be apologized for, thought Rose. Rose was now feeling very naked actually. Maybe it was the power of suggestion, but she had felt perfectly clothed on the TARDIS and now she felt like she was running around the hills of Scotland in her undergarments.

"Sorry." Apologized Rose as she looked down, blushed, and leaned more towards the Doctor as if it would help her feel more hidden from prying eyes. The Doctor knew that he would pay for it later but he had to explain away the state of Rose's dress or people would start asking too many questions. He decided that the simplest explanation would due and although Rose would probably make him sorry for teasing her later, he couldn't help himself.

"She's a feral child. Well was. Just got her talking now. I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. Since then I've been making it my project civilizing and taming her, we sort of fell in love and got married. Still has a wild streak in her though, but we're working on that. Thought a trip to the country would help. Might soon have her in decent clothing soon, wee baby steps not need to overwhelm her newly civilized mind, bless her. Didn't think it would be a problem way out here. Anyway, I think I made the right choice in my purchase of her. It was her or the Elephant Man, right. Not as attractive, though could have been interesting…" Rose stepped on his converse covered toes as hard as she could without it being glaringly obvious to everyone about.

"Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused. What do you think, Ma'am?" Said Rose annoyed with her husband's back-story for her in front of the Queen and wanting more to win money off him. And as for the last part, regardless of the results, she'd make him beg at this point.

"It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?" Said the Queen in a dismissive tone, not interested in the subject. She was tired and hungry.

"So close." Groaned Rose at her luck as the Queen went inside the building. Following behind her the guards carried her affects.

"Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the property. Hurry up." Said the Officer to his men who obeyed and carried a small locked box from the carriage and into the house.

"So what's in there, then?" Asked the Doctor, curious as to the secretiveness and security around the small locked box.

"Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir." The officer Reynolds all but growled at the Doctor before turning to the rest of his men and ordering,

"The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions." With no other instructions the Doctor and Rose then followed the Queen. All the while Rose cooking up ideas for possible ways to win her bet.

Author's Notes:

I don't like this Queen cause we all know what she does to the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor and Rose are becoming more hands on, if you know what I mean. Do you think their relationship is moving on naturally enough? Feedback is always appreciated.

UPDATE: I received a comment stating that something I wrote about Rose going back to her old room did not make sense. I looked back because I was like, "What are they talking about?" Then I realized that somehow in my haste to post, I had erased a half of a paragraph! Sloppy Sloppy Sloppy! Anyway went back to my notes and found the offending errr missing paragraph and put it back in. Thanks for pointing that out, dear reader!