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The mood in the room was sombre as they travelled back to Colorado. Instead of landing in the basement, the Doctor landed in the main room, right next to the Christmas tree. "What now?" Clara asked as Rose and the Doctor stepped into the house behind her.
"Now," the Doctor started, "Rose and I go and decommission the Family's ship, while you," he pointed at Clara, "you are going to get on your phone and call your superiors and tell them that they are going to have a massive clean-up on their hands."
"What do you mean decommission?" Clara asked. "Are you going to blow it up?"
The Doctor chortled. "Nah, we're simply going to turn it into scrap metal." He turned to Rose. "Keys?"
"In the bowl by the door, where I always keep them," Rose smirked. "How are we going to find the landing site? I snuck out last night and didn't see anything."
"I will use my powers of observation and calculate all the variables to find the optimum place for them to have landed their ship." He preened. "I'll find it in no time."
Rose looked sceptical. "Really?"
"Really, really."
"Are you sure that the TARDIS didn't tell you?" she probed.
For a moment his face fell before he smiled again. "Come on, Rose Tyler. We can talk about the way you and my ship are conspiring against me and how that is even possible."
Rose rolled her eyes as they made their way out the door. Having grabbed the keys, the Doctor started for the driver's side before stopping himself and going over to open the passenger door. When he finally slid into the driver's seat, Rose decided to tease him. "Glad to see that you're keeping this part of your personality at the forefront. A little chivalry never hurts when you're courting a lady."
"Is that what we're doing? Courting?" the Doctor enquired earnestly.
Something in her stomach twisted. Hadn't he said that they were going to move forward from here? Maybe she had misunderstood. It wouldn't be unlike him to do a 180 now. This was the first time she'd had the slightest bit of doubt since he'd opened the watch. Schooling her face into a look that she hoped looked indifferent, she shrugged. "That's up to you I guess. You know how I feel. I think I've made that perfectly clear over the last few weeks. Where we go from here, that's your choice and if there is one thing I have learned over the past ten years, it's that I can handle pretty much anything life throws at me."
He took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm not backpedalling. I was simply inquiring if you wanted me to woo you for a respectable period of time before we resume…" He squirmed in his seat. "Our nocturnal activities. I'm just tired of wasting time, and I wanted to make sure that we have the some expectations on the outcome."
Rose burst into a fit of giggles as relief flowed through her. "Let's just take things as they come, alright?"
"I'd love to take you as you come," the Doctor growled. The tension in the vehicle shifted to something that made Rose squirm, although it was out of anticipation not uneasiness. The implications of his words made her want to finish this mission and make it back to her bedroom or maybe the TARDIS. Or both.
A thought struck her. "Why didn't we take the TARDIS? Might have made the trip a bit quicker."
"Quicker, yes, but it wouldn't have given us time for this delightful chat." He squeezed her hand. "We've been garrulous tonight, haven't we?"
She squeezed back. "Making up for lost time, I suppose. Cramming a decade's worth of conversation into what, an hour? There was only so much that I could tell you when you were John. But we don't have to resolve everything tonight. We have plenty of time to work through everything."
"So you meant it? That you want to come with me. Travel together again?" There was the slightest hitch in his voice. At least she wasn't the only one having moments of nervousness.
"Of course I meant it," Rose sighed. "On one condition."
He swallowed hard and tensed, as if he was preparing for the worst. "What condition?"
Shifting a little, she studied his profile. "I still need visits home and not just to see Mum. I'll want to come back and visit Jack, Mickey and Martha, their kids and of course Sophie." She paused for a moment. "The last one is non-negotiable. All of them are really, but I won't have you using my previous relationship with Liam as an excuse to not visit Sophie. After all she's been through in her life, I refuse to abandon her."
His jaw tensed, and she could almost hear the thoughts rushing through his mind. This wasn't something that she intended to give in on. If he couldn't live with her choice to want to visit the people that meant the most to her then he would just have to leave without her.
"I don't think that's too much to ask," he said after a long moment. "Your family is important to you. I know that, always have. And as always, your wish is my command."
"Good, that's good." She let out the breath that she'd been holding. "There is something that I haven't told you yet, because I wasn't sure that you'd fully understand as John. I've been making arrangements."
"What kind of arrangements?" he asked urgently.
"I turned in my resignation at work, called Mum and let her know that I'd be traveling with you again soon. She says hi by the way. Oh, and I may have told her that you sort of had amnesia." She purposely glossed over his visits to her mum. That was a conversation for another day. "I've also contacted a moving company. They're coming in two weeks to pack and move my stuff to storage. Jack's been kind enough to offer me storage space at Torchwood."
He pulled the car to a stop outside the field where the Family's ship had landed. "Just like that? After all this time?" He turned to look her full in the face. "You had no idea that I'd even ask you to come, and you are just giving up the amazing life that you've built for yourself?"
"Yes," she answered immediately. "Besides, I knew you'd asked me. You and John are two sides to the same coin. If he wanted me to go with him, then you would too." She grinned at him, let go of his hand and opened the door. "Come on, we've got work to do."
Quickly he caught her up and led her to the cloaked ship. From his pocket, he produced his sonic screwdriver and scanned the area. "Where did you get that?" she asked, not remembering giving it back to him.
The alien ship blinked into existence. "You're not the only one who can commune with my ship." A door hissed open and he pulled her inside. "The Old Girl let me know where it was stowed away for safe keeping, and I grabbed it."
"I have no idea how I do that by the way, communicate with the TARDIS." She took a minute to study the equipment in the ship so she didn't have to look at him. "If I had to guess, I'd say that it has to do with Bad Wolf. Like the aging thing. I mean, after the Game Station I could feel her presence more in my head much more than I could before. And even after I left, I think she was still translating languages for me. The connection was dimmed but it was still there. It really helped with development of my translator. She inspired it really."
"But you developed it," he interrupted, unadulterated pride filling his voice. "It's incredibly innovative, and you, my dear Rose, are nothing short of astonishing."
Finally, she turned to look at him, her cheeks flushed. "Thank you," she replied sincerely before finishing her thoughts. "Anyway, when she landed you in my basement, the connection came back almost instantly. And it sort of grew. I could hear her whenever I was in the house, not just when I went to check on her. Just another thing we'll have to figure out, I guess."
"And we've got all the time in the world, together, to figure it out." Reaching over, he cupped her face.
"Yes, we do," she agreed.
He pressed a quick kiss on her lips and promised that more would come later, after they had made the technology on this ship essentially useless. It was nice to know that they could easily work together after all this time. The only difference was that now Rose was far more capable of keeping up with the Doctor's technobabble. Together they made quick work of deleting the memory banks of all information. Then they created a rather large fire overloading what was left so all technology that could have been harvested was reduced to useless pools of melted metal. Thankfully, the sealed door contained the heat and none of the surrounding area would be damaged.
When they were finished they made their way back to SUV and navigated the icy streets back to Rose's house. Glancing at the clock, Rose noted that it was just after midnight. "Happy New Year," she whispered.
"Happy New Year," the Doctor returned. "I'm sorry that the party didn't go as planned and that I didn't get to kiss you at midnight."
"Yeah, it's too bad we don't have a time machine or we could just go to another New Year's Eve party tomorrow," teased Rose.
"Pity that," he replied. "Or a spaceship so I can take you to a Year's End festival on Kunori. They have great nibbles and the mead isn't too bad either."
"I could do with a holiday after having to babysit you for the last three months. Someplace warm so I can show off more of my legs when I'm wearing heels."
"That sounds like a marvellous plan." He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
They made light conversation the rest of the ride relatively short ride home. Mostly they discussed places that they could visit.
"You know I think," the Doctor said as they walked up Rose's front steps, "that maybe you should keep this house."
Rose looked at him sceptically. "Really?"
"Course, why wouldn't you?" He pulled her into his arms. "This place has it all. Beautiful views, great running trails, nice quite place to spend a bit of down time wrapped in the arms of the man you love."
"Yeah?"
"Oh yes," he agreed, pushing her back against the door. In one swift movement his lips met hers, gently at first, then building in intensity. Her fingers tangled in his hair as he nipped at her bottom lip. She moaned when he moved on to her neck, sucking at her pulse point. Just as his hands worked their way under her jacket the door opened behind them.
"We're in the midst of an alien invasion, and you two are necking on the porch?" Clara bellowed. "What is wrong with you two?" She threw her hands in the air. "You know what? I don't have any idea why I thought you two would stop the public groping just because some watch was opened." Stalking back into the house, Clara didn't see the other two sneak a quick kiss before following her.
"I've talked to my superiors at UNIT," Clara told them. "They are sending a team to clean up and, um… Jack and his Torchwood team are on the way as well. They'll probably be here first actually. Sorry."
"You called Jack," Rose asked curtly. The implications of what Clara had just said and what Rose had learned about the other woman today were finally starting to hit her. "How do you know Jack? Do I even know one real thing about you?"
Clara sighed and sunk down onto the sofa. "I'm sorry for not telling you the whole truth. I know Jack because he reached out to me before you moved here. He asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure that you were adjusting. Things that one friend does when they are worried about another. Because of my orders to not break my cover I couldn't tell you that I knew him.
"After John arrived he asked me to report anything suspicious. Ordered is actually a bit more accurate. He called my superior officer and forced my cooperation. I only called him after a strange run in with Dr Redfern and Joan. And I may have deceived you about my history, Rose, but the person I am, your friend, that wasn't an act. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you straight off. I should have broken protocol and let you know who I was. I really am sorry, and I hope that we can still be friends."
Plunking down beside her, Rose wrapped an arm around Clara's shoulder. "I wasn't exactly honest with you either, and now you know my biggest secret." Rose nodded in the direction of the TARDIS. "Telling people I'm a former time traveller tends not to go over well."
"Not so former anymore," the Doctor interjected with a smug grin.
Rose rolled her eyes and ignored him. "No more secrets, alright?"
"Agreed," Clara replied, hugging her friend.
After a few moments the Doctor cleared his throat. "This is usually our cue to leave. Are you ready, Rose?"
Breaking away from the hug, Rose shook her head. "I still have a few things I need to pack. Give me a mo." With a last squeeze to Clara's arm, Rose stood. "And you two play nice while I'm upstairs."
The Doctor snorted, and Clara laughed. It was a little sad, Rose thought, to be climbing these stairs for what might the last time. This place had been her home, and like the Doctor, she was going to miss it. Even though the Doctor had suggested that they keep it, she wasn't sure that she really wanted to. People here had died, and she didn't want her presence to remind people of that. So much had changed for the people of Silver Springs today.
Everything in her room looked normal, aside from her heels and dress from the party being thrown haphazardly on the floor. She pulled a large suitcase and her favourite handbag out of the closest and laid them on the bed. For the past week she'd been making mental notes as to what to take with her. The TARDIS had a huge wardrobe that she could take advantage of so clothes weren't a huge priority; neither were toiletries. Besides she had already taken some of her favourite things and stashed them in her room on the TARDIS. All of her photos had been scanned and added to a digital picture frame that the ship had provided. There wasn't all that much left here that she wanted to take.
Her mobile rang as she was grabbing her intimate apparel out of her bureau. She followed the ringing and found it on John's nightstand. "Hullo," she chirped, not even bothering to read the caller ID.
"Rosie, what have you been up to tonight?" Jack's voice came from the other end of the line.
Rose grinned. "Not much really: just stopping the Family, destroying their ship, terrifying a town. I had John open the watch, so the Doctor is now fully back to himself. Oh, and your little covert operative exposed herself."
"Ah, now you know about Clara." Jack sounded sheepish. "Sorry about that."
"You spied on me, Jack. After everything we've been through, why couldn't you just trust me?" Rose opened the drawer on the nightstand and pulled out the two books lying inside, the Journal of Impossible Things and the scrapbook she's given him for Christmas.
"I trust you, Rose, I really do, but you were out there on your own with no backup. I just thought that another set of trained eyes keeping lookout wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"And what if the Family had taken her, instead of Joan or Mrs Sterns? They could have used that against us." She wasn't really mad at him, but he could have compromised the Doctor's safety as well as Clara's by not telling Rose that she knew more than she let on. Turning, she gently placed the books in her suitcase. She wasn't sure if he'd want them. Things like scrapbooks and journals weren't really his thing, but she still wanted them.
"Again, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. Are you going to be there when we arrive?"
Rose stood and started adding more things to her suitcase. "How far out are you?"
"Couple of hours. We're flying a private plane, but it's still a long way from Cardiff to Colorado."
With a sigh Rose opened her safe. "We'll probably be gone by then. The Doctor's already getting antsy." She carefully placed her jewellery, papers and the rest of the contents in her handbag. Her fingers wrapped around the flash drive John had given her for Christmas. An idea struck her. "You know what; there is something that you can do. The Doctor wrote a book while he was John. Can you make sure it's published and that the proceeds go to the town, especially to the victims' families? Clara will know the details, and the book is on a flash drive in my safe."
"Done deal, Rosie. I'll take care of it as well as the other stuff we talked about." He sighed. "I would ask that you wait until I got there before you left, but knowing the Doc, I can't see that happening. Promise me you'll visit soon. I miss you."
"Yeah soon, I promise. Made it a condition of going with him, lots of visits home." She paused a moment. "Take care of Clara, will you? I doubt she'll be able to keep this assignment anymore."
"Anything you want sweetheart. I won't let her get sent to the back-a-beyond. Take care of you Rosie. Love you."
"Same, love you too Jack. And thanks for everything. I owe you."
"My pleasure. Talk to you soon."
"Bye." A stray tear slid down her cheek as she rang off. She really did owe Jack big time for all his help. She'd talk to the Doctor and they make it up to him somehow. Quickly she finished putting the few things that she wanted to take with her in her bag.
There was a knocking at her door, and Rose looked up. The Doctor was standing there, now dressed in his brown pinstriped suit and white Converse. "You about ready?" He wandered over to his side of the bed.
"Just about." She zipped up her suitcase. "Now I'm ready. If there's anything else I need, we can pick up from Jack next time we visit."
"Quite right," he replied absentmindedly, picking up the laptop that he'd used while he was human. Taking out his sonic, there was a familiar whirring sound and a flash of blue light. A moment later he set it down. "There we go, memory wiped." He looked at her two small bags and blinked. "Is that all your taking?"
"Well, I've been sneaking things into my room on the TARDIS for a week now. These were just the last minute things." She slung the handbag over her shoulder.
His face fell. "Oh, back to your room. I see. I was just thinking that given the change in our relationship status that maybe you would want to… Well, you know…"
"Stay in your room?" she supplied with a tongue touched grin.
He shrugged trying to look casual and failing miserably. "If you want."
"Doctor, I want. I really do. I just stored the stuff before you were back to your full self. Just sorta out of the way." She shrugged. "It won't be any trouble to move them."
His hand casually rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I just keep thinking that this is a dream or something, and that I'm going to wake up and you'll be gone, again."
"Not gonna happen, not again." She held out a hand to him. "Come on, let's go before UNIT gets here."
He started walking around the bad and then stopped. "Oh wait. I forgot something." Opening the drawer on his nightstand, he reached in and found nothing. Dropping to his knees, he looked under the bed. "Where are they? I don't want to leave them behind."
"Doctor," Rose said with a smile. "I have your journal and the scrapbook in my bag already. If that's what you're looking for."
"Good, yes, that's it." He stood up and straightened his tie. "Of course you would have packed them. You are brilliant, Rose. My brilliant Rose." Walking around to her, he grabbed her suitcase.
Rose grinned and followed him out the door. "Oh, I'm your Rose am I?"
"Yep, just like I'm your Doctor. I always have been, by the way, ever since run." He looked over his shoulder to smile at her, and he tripped over the last stair. Somehow he managed to keep his feet under him and not fall flat out.
Rose bit her lip to stifle the laughter. "I think you have now officially taken the jeopardy friendly title from me." Grumbling words she couldn't understand, the Doctor walked over to the TARDIS and took her bag inside.
"Leaving so soon?" Clara asked, coming over with a cup of tea in hand.
"Yeah, lots of new places to see." Rose pulled her into a hug. "Take care. I'll miss you."
"Me too," Clara replied, hugging back. "It's been fun."
"That it was," Rose answered before letting go. "We'll see you around, I hope." Clara nodded and with a final wave, Rose stepped into the time and space ship.
The Doctor was already spinning around the console. "Where to first? Anytime, anyplace, your choice."
"Someplace warm," she replied, coming up beside him. "Oh, and dancing, let's go dancing."
"The things I do for you." He shook his head.
"They're worth it, if we're together." Pushing up on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. Then she yawned. "I should probably take a kip first. Care to join me? I can't wait to see what kind of bed a Time Lord has.
He flicked a switch moving them into the Vortex and then scooped her into his arms. "It's a waterbed if you must know, and I'm going to show you the motion of the ocean."
Giggling, she swatted his arm. "You're joking." He didn't reply, just carried her down a corridor, not stopping until he was in front of a heavy wooden door. "Please tell me you're joking," Rose pleaded.
"Course, I'm joking," he said with a wolfish grin. "It's a hammock. I hope you like to swing."